Flowers and Brimstone
by Dr.Indigo
Summary: Sequel to Highway to Hex. While visiting their Aunt Jackie on her private island retreat, the Princesses Marisol and Artemis Butterfly learn the story of how she achieved enlightenment, met her future wife, and became the founder of one of the most influential and controversial new religions of the 21st Century. Not to mention how she learned to fly.
1. Prologue

Hello everybody, and welcome to the first chapter of the third installment of my exciting Star Vs series. As always, Star vs the Forces of Evil is owned by Disney. Yadda. Yadda. Yadda. Enjoy.

Flowers and Brimstone: Prologue.

( _Boar's Head Island, Pacific Ocean: June 23, 2046_ )

Omnitology.

A relatively new religion based on the belief that all things are connected; not just on the physical plane, but on the mental and spiritual planes as well. And that by understanding these connections one can achieve altered states of mind, body, and soul.

Initially written off as just another strange cult, this revolutionary belief system gained a great deal of legitimacy fifteen years ago when its founder, Jacqueline Lynn Thomas, disproved several of her most vocal detractors by unlocking the secret of weightlessness and demonstrating her new ability on national television.

Since that day, thousands of people from all over the world flock to her private compound on Boar's Head Island every year to study at the feet of the master and unlock the power within themselves.

All in the hopes of one day reaching the same level of awareness as their exalted teacher, whom they affectionately refer to as "The Enlightened One".

On a particularly warm and sunny day in late June, the great Enlightened One was delivering a sermon to a fresh-faced batch of newcomers in one of her small outdoor amphitheaters; appropriately named the Spiritoreum. Like all her followers, she was dressed in a long, flowing, see-through robe that perfectly displayed her toned, athletic body. She wore no undergarments or jewelry, for she needed to feel the air against her bare flesh, but atop her short blonde head she wore a crown of pink flowers; symbolizing her position as the leader of this congregation.

As always, she sat before her audience floating ten feet off the ground; untethered by the bonds of gravity.

Her mind was focused.

Her heartbeat was steady.

And her spirit was as pure as morning dew.

She was ready to begin.

"Instinct is an illusion, perpetrated by the body and mind, in the hopes of being proven wrong." The blonde guru began, taking a certain pleasure in the looks of confusion on her new disciples' faces. "To put it simply, when you base your assumptions only on what you can see or what you think you already know, you blind yourself to the true possibilities of your reality. For example, because of the conditions here on Earth, most people assume that liquid is the natural state of water. However, when you consider the vastness of the universe and how much of it consists of empty space, a more accurate assessment would be that ice is the natural state of water. Another example would be the relationship between the forces of time and gravity. For centuries they were thought to be separate and unrelated. But it was Einstein who discovered the concept of gravitational time dilation. He discovered that gravity actually warps time. What I'm trying to say, dear followers, is that you must be willing to think beyond what you see or what you think you know. Only then can you understand the true nature of the universe and yourself."

As she paused for dramatic effect, the blonde guru took a moment to take in her new disciples' reactions. Oh, how she relished the looks of confusion on their faces. They didn't understand yet, but they would. They had just taken their first step down the path of enlightenment. Oh, how it warmed her heart.

Unfortunately, her good feelings were suddenly cut short by an all too familiar cry.

"Enlightened One! Enlightened One!" said a small, bearded birdlike creature as it frantically forced its way through the sea of newcomers to reach the stage. "Your Excellency! Sorry sir. I have important… Oh, pardon me, madam. I have to tell you… Ah! Watch the beard!"

Eventually the tiny avian managed to make his way through the audience, at which point he stopped to catch his breath.

"Oh, _Pant_ , Oh, sweet heaven, I am out of shape. _Pant. Pant_."

"Brother Ludo, what is the meaning of this intrusion?" the Enlightened One asked calmly.

"A thousand apologies, Oh Wise One. But I have a message from your wife." The little birdman answered humbly; attempting to sound respectful while also trying not to pass out. "The princesses have arrived. They're waiting for you by the statue at the Welcome Center."

"Excellent." She relied; still sounding Zen despite her sudden rush of joy. "Would you mind filling in for me while I greet them? It's just the standard introductory sermon. Nothing too complicated."

"It would be an honor, Your Magnificence." He said with a bow.

"Splendid. Acolytes, I leave you in Brother Ludo's capable hands."

And with that, the blonde guru rose even higher into the air and then sudden shot across the sky with the speed of a bullet.

Back on the ground, Brother Ludo was taking centerstage, and after pausing for just a moment to clear his throat, he looked towards the audience with a jovial smile and said,

"So… where did we leave off?"

XXX

( _Elsewhere, two and a half minutes later_ )

"Well, this is… interesting." Princess Marisol said politely as she gazed up at the twenty-five-and-a-half-foot tall bronze statue depicting the great Enlightened One meditating under an ancient willow; clearly trying very hard to hide how disturbed she was. "I mean, it's certainly… um… er…"

"The word you're looking for is creepy." Her sister Artemis cut in suddenly; clearly unafraid to show her true feelings. "And I thought Uncle Marco had a god complex."

"Marco is but a loose cannon; ruled by his ego and controlled by his lust." Said their guardian; a bespectacled, aquamarine haired humanoid who fifteen minutes ago had introduced herself as their Aunt Kelly. "My beloved is a teacher. A healer. A guidepost for waifs lost in the wetlands of malice and confusion."

"And what the hell does that mean?" asked Artemis smugly.

"It means shut up and you just might learn something." Replied Kelly; abandoning her previous air of tranquility. "Although in your case, missy, I highly doubt it."

"Now, now, darling. There's no need for such hostility." Said an ethereal voice from out of nowhere. "They are young and unfocused, but they will find their path. Just like all the others."

Just then, the owner of said voice floated down from the sky. To no one's surprise, it was the Enlightened One herself; looking just as angelic as ever.

"Welcome, heirs to the Clan Butterfly." She said with a warm and mellow tone. "I am Jacqueline Thomas. Founder of Omnitology. Guider of Lost Souls. And Proprietor of this fair island. But you may call me Aunt Jackie."

"I can think of a few other things I'd like to call- _OOF_!" Artemis muttered, only to get cut off by her sister elbowing her in the stomach.

"A pleasure to meet you, Aunt Jackie." Said sister said politely; throwing in a customary curtsy. "Both our Mother and Uncle Marco have spoken very highly of you."

"The pleasure is mine, young one. You are Marisol, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Then you must be Artemis, yes?"

"Yeah, that's me." The other princess replied, trying to downplay her aching belly. "So… Aunt Jackie… I understand you're some kind of cultish crackpot- _AAK_!"

This time it was Aunt Kelly who cut her off by smacking her in the back of the head.

"Watch your mouth, brat. You are in the presence of one of the wisest and most spiritually aware beings in all the known universe."

"Now, now Kelly. Violence is almost never the answer." The blonde guru said casually, before shifting her focus back on the children. "Please forgive my wife's rather abrasive behavior. Among other things, she is the head of public relations. So she spends a lot of time dealing with some of my more vocal critics. Tends to make her a bit irritable. Hope she didn't hurt you."

"No, it's cool. I've been hit a lot worse than that."

"Splendid. Then let us continue our conversation in a more comfortable setting. This way please."

And with that, the Enlightened One floated off towards the south; followed swiftly by her wife and 'nieces' on foot.

As they walked through the serene, Edenlike compound, the young princesses took this opportunity to take in their new surroundings; an excellent idea, considering that Boar's Head was to be their home for the next few weeks.

All around them they saw people, from all walks of life, engaging in activities that defied imagination.

Over by one of the dormitories they saw a man transform himself into a tree and then back again; all without exerting even the slightest bit of effort. Not far from there they saw a large fountain, where a young woman was busy altering the state of the water; turning it from a liquid to a gas to solid gold and then back to liquid. A stone's throw away from that there were two twins, a boy and a girl, continuously swapping places with each other through what appeared to be teleportation. And the list goes on and on.

"Wow~" Said Marisol, clearly enchanted by what she was seeing. "This is truly a land of wonders."

" _PFFT!_ Big deal." Said Artemis dismissively. "They're just using their Stands. And they're not even that creative. I've seen better tricks at Typhonian street carnivals."

" _Tricks_?" Kelly repeated angrily. "How dare you! These people are acolytes of the Enlightened One. They work day and night to reach new levels of spiritual awareness. And you _will_ show them the respect they deserve."

" _Yeesh_. Aunt Janna was right. You guys really are whacked out of your minds."

"Why you smug little…"

"That's enough, beloved." The Enlightened One said calmly. "People are entitled to their own opinions. And I'm sure our faith can survive the criticism of a thirteen-year-old girl."

"Yeah, but…" the bush-haired woman started to argue, but then quickly reconsidered. "No, you're right. I'm sorry. I just… I can't stand that…"

"Yes, yes, I know, darling. But this is a place of healing and self-discovery. We cannot let our anger cloud our judgement. We wouldn't want to disturb our guests, would we?"

"No…" she answered glumly.

And then they continued on.

Ever the sympathetic, ethically conscious type, Marisol noticed the older woman's despondent look and attempted to ease her pain.

"Aunt Kelly, are you alright?" she asked politely.

"Yeah… I'm okay, squirt. I just… everyday I have to listen to people calling my Jackie a nut or a con artist. People who are too narrowminded and stupid to realize what a genius she is. And _that_ _ **woman**_ is the worst of them all."

"Kelly."

"You know, she has _never_ supported any of Jackie's decisions. Least of all me. Calling me a bad influence. Who the hell does she think she is?"

"Kelly."

"Bad influence. _Ha_! She's just homophobic, that's her problem. Who the hell is she to say who can fall in love? Ms. Big Important College Professor. Big deal! You know she's never been in a relationship longer than two months."

"Kelly."

"And she always ends them for the stupidest of reasons. One time she broke up with someone just because he wouldn't share his dessert."

"Kelly."

"But what else can you expect from someone like her? She's just a fat hog. All she ever does is eat."

"Kelly."

"And the _way_ she eats. It's disgusting! One time I saw her eating ribs, it was like watching a T-Rex…"

" ** _Kelly!_** "

The blonde guru shouted, in a rare display of temper; instantly silencing her rambling spouse.

"Now then, I trust that there will be no further outbursts."

"No dear, I mean yes dear, I mean… sorry, it won't happen again."

"Yes, I'm sure it won't." she said, before quickly slipping back into Zen mode. "Now, as for what you were saying, Artemis. You are correct. Nearly all of my followers are Stand Users. However, through Omnitology they are learning to use their abilities in ways they never thought possible. For example, I once knew a young man whose Stand could only hard boil an egg, but after an extended stay on this very island, he now uses that same Stand to read minds."

"That… doesn't make any sense." Artemis said bluntly.

"That is because you base your perception of reality only on what you see and what you think you already know. You must be willing to think outside of the preverbal box in order to understand the true nature of the universe."

"Uh… do you come with subtitles or…"

"Let me put it another way. Long before you were born, your mother believed that all monsters were evil. And she believed this because she internalized the stories she'd been told as a child. The idea that monsters could be good or that mewmans could be in the wrong was completely alien to her. But with the help of a friend she was able to see past the propaganda and accept the failings of her own species."

"Yeah, I know. Every kid on Mewni knows that story. What's your point?"

"My point is that you cannot always base your assumptions on your own frame of reference. All things in the universe are connected, but the ways in which they are connected are not always obvious. However, through practice and meditation you can learn to see these connections and in so doing gain a greater understanding of the universe and yourself. Do you understand now?"

"Uh… no."

"No matter. You will in time. Oh, and perhaps sooner than I thought. We've arrived."

Without realizing it until just then, the twin princesses had been led to the base of a large, aged willow tree; one that bore a striking resemblance to the one depicted in the statue outside the Welcome Center.

"Please, have a seat on the grass, won't you."

Without hesitation, the two princesses plus Kelly did as instructed, while their instructor remained floating in midair.

"Now then, children. Your mother sent you to me because she believes that Omnitology can help you see things from another perspective. I agree. But before you can even begin to understand Omnitology, you must first understand its origins." the blonde guru began, gesturing dramatically to the branches above. "It was under this very tree that I received my first taste of enlightenment and began my lifelong journey of self-discovery."

Marisol's eyes suddenly grew wide with anticipation, while her sister just yawned and rolled hers.

"But alas, I am getting ahead of myself. My story begins many years ago, back when I was but a humble student under the watchful eye of the great Jefferson Speedwagon. It was several days after Marco had given his soul to the mischievous Hekapoo, though none of us knew this at the time, and our dutiful teacher was busy explaining to us the origin of Stands themselves."

End Notes:

And… that's it for the prologue folks. Hope you liked it. The real meat of the story will start next time. So, until then please remember to follow, fav, and/or leave a review before you leave.

Until next time my faithful followers.

Peace.


	2. Chapter 1

Okay, I'm just gonna go ahead and say it right now. Because of all the changes I've already made to the timeline, certain events and episodes in Season 2 and 3will either happen differently or not happen at all. For example, this story takes place before, during, and after the events of "The Bounce Lounge" but as you will soon see, certain aspects of that episode will play out much differently. With that said, Star vs the Forces of Evil is owned by Disney. Enjoy.

Flowers and Brimstone: Chapter 1.

( _Echo Creek, California: Present Day_ )

"Nearly every ancient civilization on Earth has its own myth about the first Stand User and they're all about as different as the civilizations themselves." Jefferson explained, using a tone that was equal parts scholarly and showing off. "The Ancient Egyptians say she was a beautiful priestess who was blessed by the Goddess Bastet. The Persians on the other hand say he was a ruthless warrior king who made a throne out of the bones of his enemies. The Chinese say a fisherman. The Ethiopians say a hermit. Hell, even the Choctaws and the Blackfoots have their own crazy spin on it. However, the one thing that ties them all together, is that in each story, its said that the first Stand was created when its User was struck by a magic arrow."

"You mean like the one that hit you?" asked Annie; ever the inquisitive type.

"Bingo, Lightfoot. Which means we can confirm that at least that much of the old myths is true. But as for who created the arrow or why, I'm afraid that's something we may never know."

As Jefferson continued with his impromptu lecture, Jackie took the opportunity to let her mind wander.

It had been about three days since Marco's heroic triumph over the rogue Stand User Fats Dynamite, and things were starting to look up. According to their teacher, news of the former God of Destruction's defeat had spread throughout the Stand User Community like wildfire; apparently it was all anyone was talking about in the secret chatrooms. Because of this, many of the other enemy Users that had initially come to hunt them down were suddenly turning tail.

Using his vast network of contacts around the globe, along with the internet and Janna's pseudo omnipresent gaze over the neighborhood, Jefferson was able to determine that of the original eight-six that had been summoned by the psychic pulse only seven hostile entities remained within Echo Creek. Six of them were sticking together in a small group, indicating either a team up or some other form of collusion, while the remaining one seemed to be doing everything within his power to stay under the radar.

The crisis was far from over, hence the reason why they were still having regular training sessions in the park, but at least now it was on a more manageable scale, and for that the young skateboarder thanked her lucky stars.

On a whim, Jackie checked her watch. It was about a quarter to one. Per Jefferson's orders, weekend training sessions were to start at 11:30 sharp, but due to Star and Marco's absence, he elected to pass the time by rattling off a few of the important facts and life lessons he'd learned during his years as a globetrotting vagabond.

"Okay, here's another useful tidbit for you. Never mix beer and scotch." He said, briefly pausing for effect, but then scowled when he apparently didn't get the response he was hoping for. "Why did that get no reaction? You kids know what beer is, don't you? You know what scotch is, right? Well, don't mix them! Liquor before beer, never fear. Beer before liquor, throw up quicker."

"What about a boilermaker?" asked Annie, sounding genuinely interested.

"Those are good. I love those."

"But isn't that beer and scotch?"

"Yeah, but its not one before the other. Its beer and scotch mixed together. You drink them both at the same time. That's okay."

"Is there a rhyme for that?"

"Yes…"

However, before he could even try to recite it, Jefferson was suddenly cut off by the all too familiar sound of a portal opening. To no one's surprise, a large gapping hole in the skin of reality suddenly materialized less than ten feet away; through which walked their friend and fellow Stand User, the ever-cheerful Star Butterfly. But what was a surprise was the second unfamiliar figure who followed soon after.

At first glance she appeared to be just another teenage girl; albeit one with a pink and white striped shirt, large round rimmed glasses, and more hair than an afghan. But upon further inspection, Jackie soon realized that this mysterious girl was most certainly not human. Her skin was a dark earthen color and her aquamarine hair had a certain… pompom like quality to it that was difficult to describe. At any rate, whoever she was, the young skateboarder had to admit that she was kind of cute; even if she did look like someone just ran over her puppy.

"There, there, sweetie. It's alright." The Mewman Princess said to her bush-headed friend in a soothing sympathetic tone. "Everything's gonna be just fine."

"No, it won't." The shrub-like girl said despondently. "Nothing will ever be fine again. My life is over."

"No, don't say that, honey. You'll meet someone else."

"Oh, and what fresh hell is this." Jefferson mutter in exasperation before sauntering over to chew them both out. "Star, what the f***? You're over an hour late! And who the hell is this? I told you these training sessions are closed!"

"Jefferson." She replied, using that forcibly cheerful tone people use when they're trying not to upset someone. "This is my very dear friend Kelly. Who has just gone through an extremely messy breakup. And needs the support of a close friend to help her get through it. So, it would be a very good idea for you to stop yelling. Is that okay with you?"

"Oh… Crap." The older Stand User said, suddenly sounding ashamed and embarrassed. "I mean, Oh man, I am so sorry. Are you alright, sweetie?"

"I wish I was dead."

"O…kay… why don't you just go have a seat on the grass next to Jackie and we'll see what we can do for you. Sound good, hon?"

"Whatever." The shrub girl replied hollowly before trudging away from him like a soulless husk.

Once she was safely out of earshot, the older Stand User turned back towards Star and in a loud whisper he asked her,

"Star, what the hell is going on here?"

"Kelly's boyfriend Tad just broke up with her and she's not taking it very well."

"Yeah, I caught that part. I mean what is she doing _here_? Doesn't she have someone else who can help her with this? Like a councilor? Or her parents?"

"Uh… that's kind of a long story, but short version, her parents aren't gonna be any help."

"Okay, but doesn't she have any friends besides you? I mean, we're kind of in the middle of something right now."

" _She_ came to _me_ for support. I can't just pawn her off on someone else. Cone on, have a heart. Just let her hang out with us for a little while. Please~"

"Star, this isn't the Happy-Fun-Time-Cookie-Club. There's still a handful of psychos mincing around town. Things are bad enough without you throwing a suicidal bush girl into the mix."

"I think she's more dramatic than suicidal."

"Missing the point, Star."

"Oh, come on. She won't get in the way. I promise. Just let her stay~"

"Ugh…"

Jackie wanted to listen in on more of this conversation, but something suddenly brushed up against her; causing her to shift focus.

To little surprise, she saw the bush girl, Kelly if she remembered correctly, sitting right beside her; still looking bleak and despondent.

Feeling sympathetic, the young skateboarder decided to extend an olive branch.

"Uh… hey."

"Hey." The bush girl replied hollowly.

"So… your name's Kelly, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, I'm Jackie. It's nice to meet you."

"Whatever…"

"Alright ladies, listen up." Jefferson suddenly called out in a commanding voice; forcing everyone present to pay attention. "Now, you've all made remarkable progress with your training and you should all be very proud. However, so far, you've only tapped into a fraction of what your Stands are really capable of. So today we're gonna be doing something a little more interesting."

"Wait, what about Marco?" Jackie asked abruptly. "He isn't here yet. Shouldn't we wait for him?"

"Good question." He replied with a hint of venom in his voice, before turning his gaze toward his dark haired 'assistant'. "Janna, what's the verdict?"

Instead of answering right away, the young philopena merely closed her eyes and took a deep cleansing breath. Then, after what felt like an eternity of silence, she reopened them and said,

"He's at a gas station about 1.2 miles from his house, standing in line to buy a hotdog. Do you want me to drag him here?"

"Ugh! No, just forget him. If that little son of a bitch wants to screw around, let him. Just check in on him every half hour to… er… make sure he's not in any danger."

Janna nodded understandingly, but Jackie was supremely confused.

Since defeating the villainous Stand Users, Fats and Nikki, Marco had been behaving very strangely. He still acted like himself, but it was the way he acted like himself that had her concerned. It was all so forced and insincere; almost like he was someone else pretending to be Marco. Janna and Jefferson were acting different too; always having private conversations and shooting Marco dirty looks. It was all so weird.

"Jackie, pay attention." The older Stand User said sternly; jarring her back to the present.

"Oh, uh… sorry." She said clumsily; blushing slightly from embarrassment.

"It's fine, just quit spacing out, alright." He replied, before switching back into lecture mode. "Now, as I was saying. Up 'til now, you've been using your Stands like blunt objects. Now you're going to learn how to use them like precise, delicate instruments. Janna, if you would."

Suddenly, a large black spot materialized on the ground next to Jefferson's feet and from it arose a large blue cooler and a stack of plastic cups. As if to demonstrate something, the older User picked up one of these cups and held it up for them all to see.

"For today's exercise, you'll each be given one of these. You will fill them up to the top using the sodas in the cooler; making sure that they're at that point where the liquid is just about to overflow. Then, using only your Stands, you will drop these into them." He explained, before showing them a handful of pennies that she assumed he'd just pulled out of his pocket. "If your cup overflows or gets knocked over, you refill it and start all over again. Once you can drop ten pennies into the cup without making a mess, you pass. Any questions?"

"Yeah, I got one." Said Star confusedly. "What does any of this have to do with getting stronger?"

"So glad you asked. You see, kiddies, it's like I've been saying all along; a Stand reacts to the User's thoughts and instincts, just like an arm or a leg. But right now, you kids can only make them do simply things like attack or defend. That's why it's important to train you Stand to do more complicated tasks; it'll give you better control on the battlefield. And once you've all got better control, we can start working on Overlaying."

"Overlaying? What's that?" Annie asked excitedly.

"One step at a time, Lightfoot. First let's work on this." He replied casually, before switching into drill sergeant mode. "Okay, ladies, here's how its gonna work. Drop ten pennies into the cup without spilling, you pass. The cup overflows, you fill it back up and start over. Your head starts hurting, you take a fifteen-minute break. Your nose or ears start bleeding, you're done for the day. And we're gonna keep doing this every day until you all get it right. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir." The girls all said in unison.

"Good. Now let's get to work."

End Notes:

Sorry if this chapter was a little boring, but things will pick up soon enough.

Hope you had fun reading it and I'll see you in the next one.

Peace.


	3. Chapter 2

Star vs the Forces of Evil is owned by Disney and Stands are the creation of Hirohiko Araki. Blah. Blah. Blah. Enjoy.

Flowers and Brimstone: Chapter 2.

( _Forty-Five Minutes Later_ )

" ** _HMMMMMMMM! HUUUUURGGGH! HAAAAARGGGGHHHH!_** " Jackie groaned in virtual agony as the vein in her forehead threatened to burst. " ** _HAAAAGH! HAAAAAGH! HAAAGH! HAAAAAAGH! HAAAAAAGH!_** "

You know, at first, she thought Jefferson was just blowing smoke when he said this exercise was going to be painful. I mean, picking up pennies and dropping them into a cup wasn't exactly doing a double marathon; and yet surprisingly, that's exactly what it felt like. She could fire her Stand, Pinball Wizard, at the speed of a bullet and will it to ricochet off solid objects without breaking a sweat. But somehow, just getting it to pick up a small copper coin with its thumb and index finger was enough to give her migraines. It just didn't make sense.

Anyway, after trying and failing sixteen times to lift the now hated first penny even half an inch off the ground, the young skateboarder was determined to make seventeen her lucky number.

Unfortunately, this was easier said than done.

Which brings us back to…

" ** _HAAAAAAAAAGH! HEEEEEEEENGH! HUUUUUNGH!_** "

"Okay, that's it." Jefferson spoke up suddenly, causing her to drop the copper piece yet again. "Jackie, take fifteen."

"What? No, I can… I swear I almost had it that time."

"A) No you didn't. B) Your face is so red it looks like a tomato. And C) Those noises you're making are about to make me lose my Korean barbeque. So, D) Take fifteen. That's an order."

" _Sigh._ Yes, Sir." Jackie said begrudgingly, before retracting her Stand.

"Good. Now just sit there and try not to strain yourself. I've gotta go talk to Janna about… something."

And with that, the young blonde was left alone with her thoughts.

She hadn't realized it until just then, but all that exercise had really worn her out. Her face was hot, her breathing was heavy, and her whole body seemed to be drenched in sweat. Suddenly she wasn't quite as angry at Jefferson for making her take a break.

On a whim, she looked around the open field and saw that her compatriots weren't having much luck either. Annie's Aqua Boogie had managed to drop in three pennies, but as she attempted to drop the fourth the little frog Stand accidentally kicked over the cup; forcing her to start all over. Star was fairing a little bit better with her Ice-Ice Baby; having successfully dropped in four. But upon dropping the fifth, she grew so excited by the accomplishment that she unintentionally froze the cup solid. Janna's Bangles had managed to drop in two, but Jefferson had apparently ordered her to take a break as well; which explained why she was just sitting under the shade of a tree munching on a granola bar. Her sixth one that day.

Janna seemed to be doing a lot of snacking lately. Almost every time she saw her she had her lips around some kind of bar or cake. When asked, the young Philopena just waved it off; claimed she was only stress eating. Which she supposed made sense. After all, there were crazy people with superpowers after them. And Jefferson had appointed her the team's _Watchdog_. That's a big responsibility; enough to make anyone a little buggy. She just hoped all this extra eating didn't cause her friend any permanent damage.

"What are you doing?" asked a familiar voice; shaking the young skateboarder back to reality.

To her surprise, it was Star's friend, the bush girl; Kelly, if she remembered correctly. Now sounding only about half as miserable as she did before.

"Uh… just taking a little break. I guess."

"I can see that." She said bluntly. "But I mean, what were you doing before? Cuz it looked like you were trying to lift that penny with your eyeballs."

"Oh… well, it's just some new exercise Jefferson cooked up to help us with our Stands."

"Your… what?"

"Our Stands. They… wait, didn't Star explain any of this to you?"

"Maybe, I don't know. If she did I probably wasn't listening. I've been kinda… distracted today."

"So I've heard."

"Yeah… so, what exactly are these… Stance thingies?"

" _Heh-Heh._ Well, first of all, they're called _Stands_. And they're… uh… no, wait… they're more like… er…"

"You have no idea what they are, do you?"

"Yes, I do! I just… I'm not that good at describing them. I was kind of… asleep when Jefferson explained it all the first time."

"Jefferson? You mean the old guy who smells like gin?"

"Yeah, that's him. I know he doesn't look like much, but he's actually pretty smart. I'm sure he can explain it to you."

"I don't wanna talk to _him_. He _stinks_." The bush girl said offhandedly. "Just put it in your own words. I'll get it."

"Oh, uh… okay. Just give me a sec." Jackie replied, before pausing for a moment to think this over. "Okay, a Stand is… it's like a second body. Only its invisible and made of psychic energy and you control it with your brain."

"Okay, with you so far."

"And… they're all different. And they give you special powers. Annie, that girl over there in the glasses, she can make ninja weapons out of water. That girl there, Janna, can travel through shadows. Star can freeze things. And Jefferson can heal anybody just by touching them."

" _Whoa_ … What about you? What can you do?"

"Well… my Stand can move super-fast and bounce off stuff like a pinball."

"Oh, well… that's… kinda cool. I guess."

"What do you mean 'you guess'?"

"N-Nothing personal. I just mean… bouncing off stuff sounds… kinda lame. When you compare it to healing powers or making weapons out of water. Ya know?"

"Wow… I never thought about it that way."

"Yeah, but what the heck do I know? I mean, you're all superpowered… Stand… people. And me, I… I… I'm just a _stupid girl who can't even hold onto a_ _ **boyfriend**_ _!_ "

And with that, the young shrub-head suddenly broke down and started bawling like an infant.

"Hey, no, you're not stupid." Said Jackie sympathetically, while doing her best to calm the wailing bush girl. "I mean, I just met you, but you seem like a nice, smart, sweet girl. I'm sure you'll meet someone else."

"No, I won't! I gonna spend the rest of my life _alone_! Just like a _palm tree_."

"Er… Okay… But, you know… life is just full of surprises." She said, ignoring the shrub-head's extremely confusing metaphor. "I mean, for the longest time I thought my soulmate was this guy I met at skate camp. But then there was this whole crazy thing at Star's sleepover and… well, it made me realize that sometimes the thing you're looking for is standing right in front of you."

"Aww~ that's so sweet." Said Kelly, wiping some of the tears from her eyes. "So, I guess that means you have a boyfriend?"

"Yeah, his name's Marco."

"Marco? As in Marco Diaz? Wait, you're _that_ Jackie?"

"I guess, but how do you know Marco?"

"Long story. Well, I guess not so much long as not very interesting. But, whatever, he's a great guy. And _sooooo_ sweet. You're a lucky girl."

"Thanks." Jackie replied, before her expression suddenly fell.

"What's the matter? Did I say something wrong?"

"No, it's not that. I just… I've got a lot on my mind right now."

"Like what?"

"Well, for one thing, there's this whole business of being a Stand User. It's got me kinda… freaked out."

"Why? Invisible 2nd bodies. Cool powers. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me."

"Yeah, but there's this whole other side to it. A dark, messed up side. These powers… they make people go crazy. I mean, just look at Jefferson. He's the sanest Stand User we've met so far and he's still all kinds of messed up. Plus, there's all these psychos running around who wanna kill us just for living. And now even Marco's starting to act all weird. I just… **_UGH_**!"

Suddenly overwhelmed by her emotions, Jackie buried her face into her open palms.

"Um… are you okay?" asked Kelly concernedly.

"No, I'd say I'm about as far from okay as you can get." The blonde skateboarder replied; lifting her head back out of her hands. "I mean what's the point of surviving all this if we're all just gonna go crazy later? What's the point of having these powers if they're just gonna land me in a bughouse or some filthy crack den? I just… _Sigh_ … I don't know. I just wish there was some other way."

"Well… maybe there is."

" _PFFT_! Not from what I've seen. Based on the Users I've met so far, the only things I've got to look forward to are either becoming a serial killer or high functioning alcoholism. Not exactly uplifting."

"Maybe not, but then again, you can't always trust your own frame of reference."

"What does that mean?"

"Eh… I actually have no idea. It's just something my dad always says. Of course, he's an idiot. So, I'm not really sure how useful it is."

At this, Jackie couldn't help but start giggling.

"Hey, what's so funny?"

"Nothing, I just… Wasn't I the one trying to cheer you up just a minute ago? How'd we get all turned around?"

"Huh, good question. Just one of those weird things, I guess."

"Yeah…" the blonde skateboarder said with a smile; suddenly feeling as though a great weight had been lifted off her soul. "Say, Kelly. As long as we're both feeling better, mind if I ask you something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Why did your boyfriend break up with you?"

At this, the bush girl stiffened.

"I hardly think that's any of your business."

"But you just said…"

"No!"

"Why not?"

"Because you'll laugh."

"No, I won't."

"Yes, you will. You'll laugh and then you'll tell me that's it's the stupidest thing you've ever heard."

"No, I swear, I'd never do that."

"That's the same thing Star said, and _she_ laughed."

"Yeah, well, I'm not Star. And I promise you, I swear upon all that is holy, I will _not_ laugh."

"Well… okay, I'll tell you." Kelly said, pausing for just a moment to take a quick deep breath. "So, me and Tad were hanging out, when he got a text from his sister Shelly, saying that she just had her baby. At first, we were both really excited, but then I noticed that she put a period at the end of the text instead of an exclamation point. I told Tad about it and he was all, 'What's the big deal' and I'm like, 'It's the birth of a new living being. You should use an exclamation point'. But he was all, 'Well, maybe Shelly isn't as loose with exclamation points as you are' and then I was all 'What is _that_ supposed to mean'. And then we got into a big fight and now we're not together anymore."

Having said all that at the speed of a woodpecker, it took Jackie a few moments to fully process the bush girl's story. But after about a minute, the young skateboarder finally recovered from the shock and said,

"Let me get this straight. You and your boyfriend broke up… over _punctuation_?"

"Yes."

"BAH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA- _HA_!" laughed Jackie, holding her stomach as if to keep it from bursting. " _That_ … that is the _stupidest_ thing I've ever heard in my life!"

"Hey! You promised!"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry-HA-HA- _HA_! But you gotta admit, that's a pretty silly reason to end a relationship."

At first, Kelly failed to see what was so humorous. In fact, for a moment, she looked like she was about to bounce on the young blonde and give her quite the thrashing. However, the more Jackie laughed, the more her expression softened. Eventually, the laughter became so infectious that the bush girl couldn't help but join in.

"Heh-Heh-Heh. You know, when you think about it, I guess it is pretty stupid, isn't it?"

"HA- _HA_! The _stupidest_!"

And with that, the two girls continued with their little laugh.

Not even realizing that Jackie's fifteen-minute break had ended eleven minutes ago.

End Notes:

Again, sorry if this chapter was a little slow, but the action should be starting sometime soon.


	4. Chapter 3

Again, Star vs the Forces of Evil is owned by Disney and Stands are the creation of Hirohiko Araki. Yadda. Yadda. Yadda. Enjoy.

Flowers and Brimstone: Chapter 3.

( _Across Town: Two and a Half Minutes Later_ )

 ** _DING-DONG~_**

Went the little electronic bell as Marco exited the Gas n' Go; hotdog and cold beverage in hand.

Waiting in that long line with all those irritating little peons had been unbearable, but with Janna scrutinizing his every move, even a minor offense like shoplifting could sign his death warrant. Granted, she couldn't watch him every second of the day, especially during a training session, but given how easily her Stand could overpower his own, the young Latino figured it wasn't worth the risk.

And yet, he wondered why he put up with it at all. With the Dimensional Scissors his wife had given him, the young god was free to go anywhere he wanted in the whole universe. He could fight and pillage to his heart's content. Heck, he could subjugate an entire galaxy if he so chose and be back in time for supper. So then why didn't he?

Perhaps it was because he knew that if he did, Janna and Jefferson would never allow him to return. One hair out of line in any dimension and he'd be barred from Echo Creek forever. And if he even tried to come back, Bangles would bite his head clean off.

But would that be so bad? Surely there were much better places to live than boring old Echo Creek. And with his powers, money would never be an issue; he could just take whatever he wanted and break anyone who tried to stop him. Plus, he'd have his precious Hex to keep him company. So really, there were no down sides.

Except… he'd probably never get to see his parents or Star ever again.

"Damn it." He cursed, suddenly realizing just how much he stood to lose. "I guess I'll stay."

"You always stand around talking to yourself, Diaz?" asked an unfamiliar voice from out of nowhere.

Suddenly shaken from his private introspection, the young Latino spun around to investigate the source of the intrusion. To his immense surprise, it turned out to be a young Caucasian girl about his age; well, physical age anyway. And speaking of age, she was quite small for someone hers, about a head or so shorter than himself; were it not for her rather… amble hips, he might've assumed she was much younger. Her light chestnut hair was cut into a short bob and her eyes were like freshly polished emeralds. All things considered, she wasn't too bad looking. But… who was she?

"Uh…can I help you?" he asked, trying to sound polite.

"Looks to me like you're the one who needs help." She replied, her voice an odd blend of sultry and oily. "I mean, standing around in a public parking lot, taking to yourself in broad daylight. Sounds like you're just one neurosis away from a rubber room."

"I wasn't talking to myself." He shot back defensively. "I was just… thinking out loud. And besides, it's none of your business what I was doing. Who the hell are you anyway?"

" _Who am I_?" she said indignantly. "How callous can you get. I mean, we were only in the same classes five years in a row."

It was at this moment that Marco noticed that she was wearing the all too familiar uniform of an Echo Creek Academy cheerleader. Ah yes, now he remembered her. She was that girl who was always palling around with Brittney Wong. The one that Star thought had a big butt.

"Oh yeah… your name's Chantal, right?"

"Actually, it's Chantelle. Chantelle Riverbottom, for your big fat information. You'd think you'd know it after all these years."

"Well, it's not like we're friends or anything. Hell, I don't think we've even spoken to each other until now."

"Hmm… good point. But I still want an apology."

"Yeah well, people in hell want ice water. So… f*** off."

Remarkably, Chantelle wasn't offended by the young Latino's rudeness.

In fact, she seemed rather intrigued; maybe even aroused.

"Huh… you seem… different, Diaz." She said, sporting a look one would normally associate with a cougar on the prowl. "Yes… very different indeed."

"Uh… what?"

"Yeah… and not just today either. Lately, everything seems different about you. The way you talk. The way you act. _Sniff_. _Sniff_. Oh~ Even the way you smell."

"Uh… _what_?"

" _Oh~_ _yes_ ~ That _smell_ ~ I know _that_ _ **smell**_ ~" Chantelle purred, apparently drowning in ecstasy. "You _stink_ of **_blood_** ~"

"Uh… you know what. You're actually kinda creepy. So… I'm just gonna go ahead and leave."

"Aw~ What's the matter? Am I making you uncomfortable?" she asked, still purring like a panther in heat.

"Yeah… let's go with that. Later, wierdo."

And with that, Marco removed himself from the situation as fast as his legs could carry him.

All the while, Chantelle just stood there; giggling to herself at the young boy's reaction.

"Oh~ He's a cute one~" she said excitedly. "I could just eat him up~"

XXX

( _Several Minutes Later_ )

Once he was certain that Chantelle wasn't following him, Marco slowed down to his normal pace. Being over two thousand years old and best friends with Star Butterfly, the young Latino was no stranger to freaky situations. And yet, the cheerleader's rather… unnerving display had been enough to turn even his stomach.

Seriously, what the hell was _that_? All that sexual purring and saying that he 'stank of blood'; talk about a creep show. How the heck did someone like _that_ make it onto the cheerleading squad?

Eh, whatever. It was all over now. And Marco made a mental note to avoid that sicko at all costs from now on. Unfortunately, their conversation had left a rather nasty taste in his mouth. So, he was in desperate need of a pallet cleanser.

 ** _WHOOOSHOOM!_**

As if responding to his mental request, a massive pulse of psychic energy suddenly washed over the young Latino like a tidal wave; stopping him dead in his tracks.

Oh~ Now this _was_ something.

The air was thick with murderous intent, and all of it seemed to be aimed squarely at him.

How interesting~

But where was it coming from?

Marco turned his head just slightly to the left and noticed that he was standing at the mouth of a dark and incredibly dangerous looking alley.

Certainly the ideal place for an ambush.

Had he been two thousand years younger, the young Latino might've avoided said alley and gone off to look for Star. But since he wasn't he did neither and instead chose to walk straight into the darkened passage with reckless abandon.

About halfway through he came to a large dumpster, which according to his senses was the source of the intense bloodlust.

How lovely~

"Alright, you can come out now." Marco said casually to his unseen aggressor. "Come on, no sense in dragging this out. I know where you are."

Moments later, as if heeding his command, a large, imposing figure stepped out from behind the dumpster; apparently getting up from a seated position.

Suddenly, the young Latino found himself standing in the shadow of a great colossus; at least ten feet tall, if not more. His body was like that of an ancient spartan; muscles so perfect they appeared to be carved out of solid marble. His Caucasian skin, which had been darkly tanned by the heat of the sun, was marred in several places by various bite and stab marks. His dark blue hair, presumably dyed, was done up in a large mohawk which gradually turned into a rattail that went all the way down the back of his neck. His clothes, which consisted only of an open leather jacket with no sleeves, denim jeans, and steel toed boots, were all scuffed and marked; as if they were the only clothes he'd owned for quite some time. But by far, the worst part was his eyes. Those dark, ice colored orbs that seemed to say, 'I'm going to have so much fun ripping your spine out through your eye sockets'.

In short, this was not a man to be taken lightly.

"Well, ain't you an eager little wallaby." Said the large man in a thick Australian accent, before shifting his attention towards something beyond where Marco was standing. "Oy! Nikki! Is he the one?"

"Yeah, that's him, Igloo." Said a familiar voice from the mouth of the alley. "That's the greasy little bastard who killed my Fats."

Looking over his shoulder, the young god noticed that, unsurprisingly, the voice in question was that of Nikki à Trois; girlfriend of the late James Howard Brown aka Fats Dynamite. He figured that she'd come after him for revenge sooner or later. He just didn't expect it to be quite _this_ soon.

"Huh, so you're the scrappy little dingo that iced ol' Fats, eh?" the large, mohawked man asked, drawing Marco's attention back on him. "Well, you don't look like much. But then, the great ones never do. Hell, you shoulda seen Fats back in the day. Man, the stories I could tell ya."

"Oh, cut the crap, Igloo!" Nikki barked suddenly. "I brought you here to kill that little freak! Not make friends!"

"Better stow that tude, shella. Fats ain't around to protect you anymore. So, you try to tell me what to do again and I'll feed you your own eyeballs. Savy?"

The bald woman scowled, but said nothing else; indicating that she understood that he was serious.

"That's better. Now then, where were we?"

"I believe you were about to tell me who you are, and what you want." Marco answered casually.

"Oh yeah, that's right. Thanks, mate."

"No prob."  
"Anyway, since you asked, the name's Wiggins. Bill Wiggins. Mum calls me Wiggy. But most blokes just call me Igloo. And, for your big fat information, I just happen to be the 2nd Deadliest Man Alive." The towering Australian said boastfully, before quickly deflating his ego just a bit. "Course, no one ever gets famous for being 2nd best. So, I won't take offense if you've never heard of me."

"I haven't. But then I'd never heard of Fats until a few days ago."

"Makes sense. Anyway, me and Fats had this sorta rivalry between us. I'm pretty much the only User that's even fought him and lived. At least until you showed up. And I always promised myself that I'd be the one to finally punch his timeclock, so I could take my place at the top."

"But since I already killed him, you've gotta kill me now to become the best. Is that it?"

"Yeah, that's about it."

"Well, judging from your aura, you're definitely worthy of the Number 2 slot." The young Latino said calmly. "You're only slightly weaker than Fats was. And you've got some kind of pressure coming off you that he didn't have. I'm guessing that's your bloodlust."

" _Whistle._ You catch on quick for a newbie."

"That being said, I already beat the best. And with minimal effort no less. So, killing you will be cake."

"Oh, is that right?"

 _SNAP!_

 _WHUMP!_

 _WHUMP!_

 _WHUMP!_

 _WHUMP!_

Suddenly, Marco was surrounded by four new Stand Users; each one dressed in a similar fashion to the original. One was a young woman with spikey pink hair and a red Gibson guitar slung over her back. Across from her stood a pair of twins; one with light green hair, one with bright yellow, both morbidly obese. Lastly, there was a tall, thin gentlemanly looking fellow with slicked back purple hair and a cracked monocle. Overall, an odd but rough looking bunch.

"Heh- _Heh_! Boy, you should see the look on your face." Igloo said amusedly. "Marco Diaz, say hello to the fellas! Danni Charles, Cocky Dave, Horny Stu, and last but not least, Lord Cedric von Dullahan. We're the Diamond Dogs, mate. Or as we like to call ourselves, numbers 2 through 6 on the Biederbeck List."

Seconds later, the five enemy Users started lighting up their auras, and instantly the young Latino realized he'd made a terrible mistake.

Their power… it was… _unreal_.

Their Stands weren't even out yet and already their psychic energies were crashing down on him like a swarm of runaway freight trains. And if that wasn't enough, the intense pressure from their collective bloodlusts seemed to be sapping the oxygen out of the area; making it very difficult for him to breathe.

It was like he was drowning.

Drowning on dry land.

In the background, he could hear the bald woman snickering as the five assailants brought out their monstrous and imposing avatars. Marco wasn't a mind reader, but he knew exactly what that half Comanche Witch was thinking.

He was trapped in a space with limited mobility, surrounded by five S-Rank Stand Users whose collective power and lust for combat was literally both paralyzing and breathtaking.

Perhaps 'cake' wasn't the best choice of words.

End Notes:

Trivia: The Biederbeck List is an online database that catalogs known Stand Users and ranks them based on how much of a threat they pose to the world as a whole. While not based solely on raw power, it is said that anyone who makes it into the Top 20 could, if properly motivated, potentially enslave and/or exterminate the entire human. Fortunately, most Stand Users prefer to keep to the shadows and lack the kind of ambition necessary to accomplish such a feat.

See you next time, folks.

Peace.


	5. Chapter 4

Merry Christmas Everyone! And here's a special present to all my faithful fans and followers. As always, Star vs the Forces of Evil is owned by Disney and Stands are the creation of Hirohiko Araki. Ho, Ho, Ho! Enjoy!

Flowers and Brimstone: Chapter 4.

( _Six Minutes Later_ )

 ** _WHAM!_**

For what felt like the trillionth time that minute, Marco was slammed into a brick wall with the force of a speeding car.

Miraculously, his ribs didn't shatter, but he was almost certain that he was bleeding internally.

Needless to say, things weren't quite working out like he'd hoped.

In his battle against Fats, the two titans had merely tried to overwhelm each other with their raw power, but this was different. Igloo and his Diamond Dogs were playing it smart. They made sure to always stay outside of his Stand's radius and to only go after him with long-range attacks. And if by some chance he managed to get close enough to one of them to throw a punch, the others would go for his blind spot to cover their friend. Not that he'd gotten many of these opportunities, since his assailants were better skilled at maneuvering in close quarters than he was. Factor in their collective bloodlust slowly sapping away the oxygen and Igloo's rather unusual climate control powers turning the alleyway into a virtual tundra, and it was a miracle he was even still breathing.

" ** _TALLEY HO!_** " cried the monstrous form of Lord Cedric's headless knight Stand as it lunged forward to bifurcate the young Latino with its sword.

Marco barely had a tenth of a second to jump out of the way before the blade made contact with the brick wall; which was spontaneously transmuted into a sheet of solid platinum.

Safe, if only for the moment, the young god stumbled forward for several paces before finally falling to his knees.

Man, talk about a close shave. Marco knew from experience that the knight's blade could transmute anything it cuts into any other substance; as demonstrated when it turned a garbage can into steam, an old beer can into solid glass, and a rather unfortunate pigeon into a puddle of mercury. _Shudder_. No wonder Cedric was ranked Number 6.

" ** _TALLEY HO!_** " cried the knight Stand yet again as it lunged forward for another attack.

Marco was able to dodge it, but the headless fiend just kept on swinging.

" ** _TALLEY HO!_** "

" ** _TALLEY HO!_** "

" ** _TALLEY HO!_** "

" ** _TALLEY HO!_** "

" ** _STOP SAYING THAT!_** "

In a fit of rage and desperation, the young Latino summoned his own powerful Stand and dealt a devistating blow to the knight's midsection; causing its User to double over in pain.

"HA! Got one!"

" ** _SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!_** " cried Igloo's snowy white phoenix Stand as it unleashed a torrent of ice spikes right at him.

Once again, Marco just barely dodged the worst of it; much to the Australian's clear amusement.

"HA- _HA_! Not bad, mate. Not bad." He said jocularly. "But don't get too cocky just yet. You've got miles to go before you sleep. Let 'im have it, Dave!"

 _WHOOOM!_

Suddenly, a powerful force enveloped Marco's right hand, forcing it to the ground. In a panic, he tried to pull it back up, but try as he might it was pinned in place as if by some massive invisible weight.

Looking over his shoulder, the young Latino discovered, unsurprisingly, that the ones responsible were the repugnant User known as Cocky Dave and his equally repugnant tortoise-wizard Stand; making good use of their impressive gravity manipulation abilities.

"Okay, he's all yours, Danni. Make him scream!" the fat man called to his female companion; his voice just as revolting as his appearance.

"You got it, love!" the pink haired girl replied before playing a chord on her demonic guitar.

Suddenly, a blast of crackling, static charged sound shot out of the guitar and made a beeline for the Latino's hand. Within seconds, said hand was completely atomized; leaving behind only a bloody stump.

" ** _AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!_** " Marco howled in agony as he clutched what had once been his right hand; in the background he could hear Nikki cackling like a mad witch.

" **AH** -HA-HA-HA-HA- ** _HA_**! That's it! That's what you get you little bastard! That's what happens when you mess with my man!" the bald woman screamed like a rabid animal. "Yes! Yes~ Don't stop! Make him suffer~ Make him _hurt_ ~"

While she gloated, Marco took advantage of the pause to tend to his injury. Utilizing Kung Fu Fighting's remarkable speed and precision, he tore off a piece of his hoodie and used it to fashion a crude tourniquet to stem the blood loss.

" _UGH_!" the young Latino groaned as he tightened the improvised bandage around his wound. It wasn't pretty, but it would do until he could get to Jefferson. He just hoped that the old drunk could regrow limbs as easily as he repaired ruptured organs. "Okay… _Pant. Pant._ Let's try this… _Cough. Cough. Wheeze._ Again…"

With grit and determination, not to mention a little primal rage, Marco pushed the pain to the back of his mind and forced himself back onto his feet. Then, with renewed vigor, he turned towards the punk rock chick and shot her a look that would make even Tom's blood turn cold.

"Oh~ Just look at you. You're all chock full of piss and vinegar." The wicked guitarist said cockily. "Okay, brat. Come and get me!"

Needing no further prompting, the young Latino did just that. With his trusty Stand at the ready, he lunged towards the vile villainess, bobbing and weaving as she shot wave after wave of atomizing sonic attacks. Eventually, either by luck or cosmic design, he got close enough and with one mighty swing he clocked the punk rock witch square on the jaw; rendering her out cold.

Now with two of the Diamond Dogs out of commission, the suffocating bloodlust that had blanketed the alley was significantly weakened. At last he could breathe. Now all he had to do was stay alive long enough to take out the other three and he could go get Jefferson to heal him.

Finally, things were starting to look up.

Or so he thought.

 _WHOOOM!_

Suddenly the young god found himself slammed up against the wall. To his surprise, Cocky Dave had trapped him in yet another of his modified gravity fiends. Only this one was much larger and more powerful than the last. He was completely immobilized.

Not good.

"Okay, bro! Your turn!" the fat man called to his twin brother.

"Right!" replied Stu as he and his revolting yellow weasel Stand used their powers over electromagnetism to lift two long lead pipes and propel them at the young god at high speed.

 _SHING!_

 _SHING!_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Marco howled like an injured donkey as the pipes ran right through his shoulders; shattering both of his collarbones. He tried to summon his own Stand to pull them out, but it wasn't working. Presumably because he'd already lost too much blood.

Not good.

"Heh-Heh- _Heh_. Well, now. Looky what we got here." The hulking Australian said as he swaggered over to where the Latino had been impaled. "Looks like somebody's finally run outta steam. Here, let me give you a **_hand_**!"

With a mighty **_WHAM_** , Igloo delivered a powerful blow to Marco's stomach; forcing some of his lunch to leap up to the back of his throat.

"Oh dear, that looked like it hurt." He said condescendingly. "You know, I bet somewhere, way back in the recesses of your mind, you thought you'd never feel this kinda pain ever again. No, no, don't try denying it. Fats was the same way."

 ** _WHAM!_**

Another crushing blow; this time to the left kidney.

"Thing is though, Ol' Fats never had to work to get where he was. All that power was with him since birth. Never worked out a day in his life. But you probably figured that out just by looking at him."

 ** _WHAM!_**

 ** _WHAM!_**

To the face this time; both sides.

"Oh, he told everyone he went on these big secret training expeditions. Said he had his own little compound in the Congo. But it was all bull****. He was just trying to maintain his image. Keep his legend alive."

 ** _WHAM!_**

 ** _WHAM!_**

 ** _WHAM!_**

Stomach.

Face.

Face.

"He never tried to improve himself. He was just born the best. Probably why he didn't put up more of a fight against you."

 ** _WHAM!_**

 ** _WHAM!_**

Face.

Face.

"He instantly recognized the gap between his power and yours, and he accepted it. He accepted that his reign was over."

 ** _WHAM!_**

 ** _WHAM!_**

 ** _WHAM!_**

Stomach.

Face.

Kidney.

"And then there's me. The Underdog. The Runner-up. Nature never gave me a wining edge. Everything I have, including my Stand, I had to get the hard way."

 ** _WHAM!_**

 ** _WHAM!_**

 ** _WHAM!_**

 ** _WHAM!_**

Face.

Face.

Face.

Kidney.

"Oh, we were polar opposites, me and him. No wonder we never got along."

 ** _WHAM!_**

 ** _WHAM!_**

Face.

Stomach.

"But you know, as much as I hated that fat f***, I always kinda respected him as a fighter. He may not 've earned it the way I had to. But he was the best."

 ** _WHAM!_**

 ** _WHAM!_**

 ** _WHAM!_**

 ** _WHAM!_**

Face.

Stomach.

Stomach.

Face.

"Which is why…  
 ** _WHAM!_**

Face.

"It pisses me off…"

 ** _WHAM!_**

Stomach.

"That he got taken out…"

 ** _WHAM!_**

Kidney.

"By a scrawny…"

 ** _WHAM!_**

Face.

"Little nobody…"

 ** _WHAM!_**

Face.

"Like you!"

 ** _CRUNCH!_**

By this point, Marco's eyes had all but swollen shut, so he couldn't see what had just happened.

And he was in so much pain he couldn't focus long enough to bring out Kung Fu Fighting.

All he could do was hang there and listen.

And what he heard wasn't good.

He heard something large and heavy fall limply to the ground.

He heard a woman shrieking in terror.

He heard some great animal give out a bone chilling cry.

He heard grown men scream as their limbs were being torn off.

He heard sharp teeth scraping against bone.

He heard a gut-wrenching sound that could only be described as a **_SKWAARP_** ; followed by something warm and sticky splashing up against his face.

Then, all was silent.

For a moment, Marco thought he was safe.

Then he felt a tremendous pressure push up against him; a suffocating bloodlust a thousand times greater than that of the Diamond Dogs.

And then, from out of that pressure, came a voice.

"Jeez, Diaz. You look like hell." Said the voice in a whisper that was both soft and disturbing. "How could you let those chumps do this do you? I mean, that's just embarrassing."

"Wh-Who-Who… _Cough. Cough._ Who said that? Who's there?"

"Doesn't matter." The voice replied casually. "You won't be around much longer anyway."

Suddenly, Marco felt a hand riffling through his pocket.

"Ooo~ What's this?"

 _Snip._

 _Snip._

 _Snip._

 _Snip._

"Oh, these are those magic scissor things Star's always playing with. The ones that take you to all those crazy magic places. No… these are different. And they've got your name on them. Ooo~ fancy."

"Geh… Give those… back… _Cough. Cough._ They're… mine…"

"Hey now, don't go straining yourself, Diaz. You'll be dead soon enough."

Marco strained himself to open one of his eyes; just so he could get a look at whoever he was talking to. But alas, his vision was so clouded that all he could see were two large, lamp like eyes staring at him through the darkness.

"And listen, don't you worry one bit about Star or that pretty little girlfriend of yours. I'm gonna take _good_ care of them."

Then everything went black.

End Notes:

Joy to the World, and here's my last upload for the year. See you all in 2018 and have fun with whatever holiday you celebrate around this time.

See you when I see you.

Peace on Earth.


	6. Chapter 5

Happy New Year Everybody! Sorry in advance if this one isn't as exciting as the one I posted on Christmas. But you know, they can't all be super action-packed. Sometimes it's just about moving the story forward. Anyway, Star vs the Forces of Evil is owned by Disney and Stands are the creation of Hirohiko Araki. Bleep. Blop. Bloop. Enjoy.

Flowers and Brimstone: Chapter 5.

( _Eighteen and a half minutes later_ )

"Easy… Easy… You're doing fine."

"Kelly, stop it."

"Just a little to the left… Now up… No, up! Up!"

"Kelly, I mean it. You're gonna make me mess up."

"Okay, now turn it counterclockwise by thirteen degrees and then move it 1.26 centimeters to the…"

" ** _Kelly!_** " the young skater girl shouted; causing her to drop the hated penny she'd just spent the last fifteen minutes trying to pick up. "Ugh… dang it."

"Oops. Sorry." Said the bush-girl; sounding genuinely repentant.

"And what exactly were you trying to achieve?"

"I don't know. I was just messing around. I didn't mean to…"

"No, it's fine. I wasn't getting the hang of it anyway. _Sigh_."

"What? No, that was like _way_ better than last time. You had it like… a whole four inches off the ground."

"Eh, you're just saying that."

"No, I mean it. You didn't even sweat that time. And you don't look as nauseous either."

"Really?"

"Totally. You were like… in the zone."

"Oh, go on."

"No, you go on. You're so negative all the time. That's why you can't lift that stupid thing. You need more confidence. You know, think positive."

"Positive, huh." Jackie said musingly. "Well, I guess its worth a…"

" ** _HE DID WHAT!_** " roared the all too familiar voice of her trusted advisor from across the clearing; instantly gaining everyone's attention. " ** _THAT STUPID, SELF-RIGHTEOUS LITTLE JACKASS! I'LL RIP HIS F***ING GUTS OUT!_** "

"Will you keep your voice down! You're gonna blow the whole thing." Janna chastised the older man in a loud whisper before pulling him aside. "Now, if you'll just calm down and _lower_ your _voice_ , I can tell you that its probably not what you think."

After that, the two of them moved out of earshot; leaving the rest of the group deeply confused.

"What the heck was that about?" asked Jackie, talking to no one in particular.

"No idea." Kelly replied suspiciously. "But I bet I can find out."

"How? You got super sensitive hearing or something?"

"No, but I'm pretty good at reading lips. Hold on, just give me a second."

Suddenly, the bush-girl adopted a look of intense focus as she trained her bespectacled eyes squarely on her distant targets.

"Okay, so the tall guy, he just called someone named Paco a stupid pig faced donkey raping Chupacabra. And now that girl, Hanna…"

"Janna."

"Whatever. Now she's saying, 'No, it couldn't 've been him. The bunnies were ripped apart with teeth and then melted with some kind of aspic. Marco can't do that'."

"Uh… are you sure you read that right?"

"Positive. Okay, now he's saying something about a 'new player'. And now she's saying something about someone named Biederbeck. And now he's saying something about Curacao. And now I'm realizing I'm not as good at this as I thought."

Jackie had to force herself not to chuckle at her new friend's antics. As amusing as this all was, she had a sneaking suspicion that things were about to turn very serious very soon.

Moments later, her suspicions were validated.

"Alright girls, wrap it up. Practice is over." Said the thin man as he and his 'little assistant' made their way back to the rest of the group; a sense of urgency in his voice.

"Already?" asked Annie confusedly; pausing to check her watch. "It's only been a couple hours."

"Yeah, man. What's the deal?"

"The _deal_? You wanna know what the _deal_ is, Star? Okay, I'll tell you what the _deal_ is. Marco's missing!"

"WHAT!" the girls all shouted in unison.

"Yeah, that's right, you heard me. Janna turned this neighborhood upside-down four times and she can't find him anywhere."

"So, what?" asked Kelly casually. "He's got his own Dimensional Scissors. He probably just went somewhere fun."

"A fair point, bush-head. And normally I wouldn't care. But there's this alley a few blocks from where Janna last saw him and right now its just chock full of corpses."

"Oh, dear Lord!" Jackie chimed in distraughtly; realization striking her like a steamer trunk full of concrete. "You don't… I mean, you don't think Marco is… _is_ …"

"Not likely." Janna cut in; clearly trying to act as the voice of reason. "The bodies I saw were mutilated and half melted, but they were all obviously adults. And none of them looked Hispanic. So…"

"So, he must be alive!" the skater girl said elatedly. "Oh, thank goodness."

"Yes, but given his proximity to the alley the last time I saw him, I think it's safe to assume that he was involved somehow. Though in what capacity I can't say for sure."

"We can speculate later." Jefferson cut in, using his patented 'taking charge' voice. "Right now, we've got a crisis on our hands. Unknown hostiles. Midday massacre. Marco MIA. Good Lord! It's a Scenario 12!"

"A what?" asked Kelly confusedly.

"No time for questions, bush-head. We gotta get moving. Star, you and Lightfoot get over to Marco's place in case he comes home. And while you're waiting, get that bitch Hekapoo on the horn. If our boy really did jump ship on Earth, chances are she knows something about it. Got it?"

"Yes, Sir." The two girls replied in unison.

"Good. Now, Jackie. You take shrub-head and get over to Jojo's. There's a box full of my stuff in the garage. Find it and take out the little red book; that's my contact list. Once you find it, call Dale Biederbeck and tell him I sent you. If he asks you to prove it, just say 'the walrus needs a carpenter'; he'll know what it means. After that, just give him a rundown of our situation and ask him to run a 41-Tango. Once that's done, call me for further instructions. You got all that?"

"Uh… Yes, Sir."

"Good. Meanwhile, Janna and I 'll head over to that alley to look for clues. If we hurry, we can get there before the cops show up and contaminate everything. Well, what are you all just standing around for? Time is of the essence. Let's set some records here, ladies. Come on! Blur! **Blur**! **_Blur_**!"

XXX

( _Twenty-three and a half minutes later_ )

Either by design or pure happenstance, Jefferson had selected a clearing within spitting distance of his girlfriend's house to serve as their regular training ground. So, it only took Jackie and Kelly about five minutes to get to Ms. Ordonia's garage. Unfortunately, locating their teacher's contact list was proving to be a much more difficult task.

"Come on… Come on…" the skater girl muttered to herself as she carefully sifted through the sea of refuse that was Janna's garage. " _Ugh_! Where is that stupid book?"

"It's not over here either." Called the shrub girl, having just finished pawing through a box of old knickknacks. "And seriously, what is a guy _that_ old doing with so many bobbleheads?"

"Those are probably Janna's Mom's. She's… uh… kind of a packrat. Just keep looking."

"Alright, alight." Kelly said, before resuming her search. "So… what's the deal with that Jefferson guy? I mean, secret contact lists. Crazy codeworks. Scenario 12. What is he, some kind of secret agent or something?"

"Nah, he's just… paranoid, I guess. His Stand can't attack or defend, so he had to find other ways to protect himself."

"Well… I guess that makes sense. But what's his story? I mean, how'd he get to be such an expert on all this Stand stuff?"

"Uh… well… I don't really know. I guess its just something he picked up over time."

"What do you mean you don't know? You're trusting your lives with this guy and you don't know anything about him?"

"No, we know… some things about him."

"Oh yeah, like what?"

"Well… we know he used to belong to some wealthy family in Boston. Janna confirmed that with a quick internet search. But apparently his folks disowned him a long time ago for some reason."

"Oh, well that's reassuring." The bush-girl said with a roll of her eyes.

"And… and… we know he's lived in a lot of different places all over the world. Though… mostly in bus stations and on park benches."

"So, in other words, you're entrusting your lives to a disgraced former billionaire turned globetrotting hobo."

" _Yeesh_. When you put it that way, it sounds pretty bleak." Jackie replied, half-jokingly. " _Sigh_. But its not like we've got much choice. We need someone to teach us how to use our Stands. And so far, he's the only User we've met who hasn't tried to kill us."

"And he's just doing this out of the goodness of his heart?" Kelly asked skeptically.

"HA! Far from it. The guy's obsessed with Janna's mom. As long as she keeps going out with him, he'll do whatever it takes to keep us all alive. Or at least Janna, anyway."

"Yeah, I noticed those two are kinda chummy. What is she, like teacher's pet or something?"

"It's… complicated. You wouldn't understand."

"Oh yeah, try me."

"Well… okay, but don't spread this around, okay?"

"Jackie, I live in another dimension. Who am I gonna tell?"

"Eh… alright. It's like this. Janna's dad ditched her mom a few weeks before she was born, so she never really had a father. Which I guess explains why she's always been kinda… off. But anyway, ever since we were kids she's always dreamed about having a normal family. She'd always get so excited when her mom found a new boyfriend and then she'd cry for days when they'd break up. It was awful. I thought she'd gotten over it by now, but… I guess, deep down, she's still that sad little girl who just wants a daddy."

"Aw~ That's so sad."

"Yeah, I know. But seriously, don't mention this to _anyone_. Janna would kill me if she knew I told you about that stuff."

"My lips are sealed." Kelly said with a playful wink.

And with that, the two girls resumed their search.

After several more minutes of fruitless effort, Jackie was beginning to wonder if her esteemed teacher hadn't misplaced his precious contact book.

When suddenly…

"Jackie! Hey, Jackie! I think I found…"

 ** _WHUMP!_**

On a reflex, the skater girl spun around to see what was the matter, and to her great alarm, she saw her bush headed friend lying facedown on the floor; the infamous book in hand.

"Kelly? Kelly, are you alright? What happened?"

"Don't worry about it." A soft yet oily voice whispered in her ear. "It'll all be over soon."

Suddenly, she felt something sharp pierce the side of her neck.

" _Nighty Night~_ "

And then everything went black.

End Notes:

Again, sorry if this one was a little boring. I'll try to punch up the dialogue in the next one. Anyway, thanks for reading and I'll see you all next time.

Peace.


	7. Chapter 6

It's 2018. I love you all. Let's get to it. Star vs the Forces of Evil is owned by Disney and Stands are the creation of the brilliant and talented Hirohiko Araki. Blibbity. Blibbity. Bloo. Enjoy.

Flowers and Brimstone: Chapter 6.

( _Two hours and twenty-seven minutes later_ )

 _BOOM!_

Marco's eyes snapped open as he was suddenly jolted back to consciousness; a sensation vaguely similar to a car slamming into a brick wall.

Alive.

He was _alive_ ~

Somehow, and against all odds, Marco Diaz was still _alive_ ~

'In your face, Death.' The young Latino thought brazenly. 'Not today, bitch.'

Not that it really made much of a difference, considering that he still couldn't see, hear or talk.

All he could do was lay there and ache all over.

 _EEEEEEEEEEEE~_

Suddenly, an irritating, high-pitched whine started assaulting his ears; seeping into his brain and clawing at his synapses. Then, as mysteriously as it began, the awful din went away, and words started to take its place.

"What's wrong with him? Why isn't he responding?"

"He's probably just in shock. If we'd found him a couple seconds later he'd be dead. And I mean all the way dead."

"You don't think he's got brain damage, do you?"

"Let's hope not. That's one of the few things I can't fix."

"Wait, I think he just looked at me. Marco! Marco, can you hear me?"

"J-J-Janna? _Cough! Cough!_ Is that you?" he croaked weakly.

"Yeah, it's me, man. And Jefferson's here too. You're safe now."

"Wha… What's happening? Where am I? And why… why can't I see anything?"

"You tell us, Diaz." Said Jefferson, sounding somewhat less cutting than usual. "Janna and I had to fish you out of a storm drain. You had two pipes sticking out of you and most of your blood was missing. Your face was pretty messed up too. So, either the shock of almost dying has caused you to develop hysterical blindness or that beating you took caused your retinas to detach. Let's just keep our fingers crossed that it's the former."

"Great… _Cough! Cough!_ Just great…"

" ** _WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!_** "

The air was suddenly shattered by the horrendous wails of some distant and unseen crier.

"Oh, for the love of… what now?" the older man asked annoyedly.

"Don't know. I'll go check it out." Replied Janna. "You keep an eye on Marco. I'll be right back."

Somewhere, out in the darkness, a door suddenly opened and then slammed shut.

Now he and Jefferson were all alone.

"Jefferson? Jefferson, are you still there?"

"Yeah, I'm still here, ya big goof. What is it?"

"I… I… I'm **_blind_**!"

"So I've noticed."

"But… but why am I blind? Why is this happening to me?"

"I told you, it's probably psychosomatic. And even if it's not, panicking won't do you any good. So just calm down."

"Calm down! How am I supposed to calm down? I'm blind, I can't move, and I don't even know where I am. My life is over!"

"Ugh, just listen to you. All scared and insecure. You're finally starting to sound like your old self." The older User said, sounding both smug and relieved. "You know, there just might be hope for you yet, Diaz."

"But, what's gonna happen to me? Am I gonna be like this forever?"

"Probably not. I mean, odds are you're just reeling from the shock of almost dying. That, and the fact that you're still about a liter low on blood."

"Wha… What do you mean? I thought you healed me."

"I did. But you were so banged up I didn't have enough aura to fix everything. I mean, for the love of chives, I had to regrow your f***ing hand."

"Oh, I see. So, your powers do have limits, after all."

"You don't know the half of it."

"Well, I'll just have to keep that in mind from now on." The young Latino said, before letting out a soft yet begrudging sigh. "Anyway, thanks for saving me and… whatever."

"You're welcome." The older man replied bluntly. "Now if its not too much trouble, would you mind telling me what the hell happened? I mean, I know you're not up to 100% yet, but even at 30 you shouldn't 've gotten this banged up."

"It was these guys, called themselves the Diamond Dogs. Ever heard of them?"

"And how. Those guys are all 1st Class Psychos. They're ranked 2 through 6…"

"On the Biederbeck List, I know. That loud-mouthed Australian told me all about it while he was rearranging my organs. They got the drop on me and then someone else got the drop on them while the big goon was pounding my face."

"Someone got the drop on the Diamond Dogs? Who?"

"Don't know. I was pretty out of it at the time. All I remember are these… big, round, glowing eyes."

"Hmm… doesn't sound like anyone I've heard of. We're either dealing with an ambitious newcomer, or an old pro who's good at staying out of the spotlight. Either way, I don't like this. Whoever this guy is, he's tough enough to takedown five S-Rank lunatics singlehanded."

"Six."

"Say what now?"

"There were six of them. That bitch Nikki was there too; watching the whole thing."

"But… I only counted five."

"What's that?"

"Back at the alley, before Janna and I found you, I counted five bodies. I mean, they were all torn apart and mutilated, but I definitely counted five."

"But… but that means…"

"You stupid, _stupid_ _ **idiot**_!" cried Janna from somewhere close by; followed swiftly by the sound of someone smacking someone upside the head.

"Ugh… what now?" Jefferson groaned in exasperation. "You wait here, Diaz. I gotta go deal with this."

"Oh, uh… okay."

And with that, the older man left the room in a hurry; leaving the blind Latino alone with his thoughts.

'Oh Lord, I can't believe this.' He thought despondently. 'Last week I was the God of Destruction. The deadliest man alive. The undisputed King of all Stand Users. And now look at me. I'm just a blind invalid. Getting my ass handed to me by two fat slobs and an Australian. My life couldn't get any worse.'

 ** _SLAM!_**

" _UGH_! That stupid, spoiled, airheaded little… **_UGH!_** "

'I stand corrected.' He thought bitterly, before speaking up. "Hello, Janna. What ever is the matter?"

"Star's a moron, that's what's that matter! Do you know what that bimbo just did?"

"No, but I'm sure you're gonna tell me."

"Okay, first, I go over there and that braindead partygirl Ponyhead is bawling her eyes out over some stupid dance club closing. Can you believe that?"

"Very easily."

"And then Star starts bawling like an idiot and, of course, Lightfoot just rushes over to coddle her. And I'm like, 'What the f***? Am I the only one who sees how ridiculous this is? Does Star seriously think some stupid club matters right now?'"

"Well, if it's the one I think it is, then I can see why she…"

"So, I go over to smack some sense into her thick head, when Jefferson walks in and tells me _I'm_ out of line. _Me_! Can you believe that?"

"Again, very easily."

"Oh, who asked you?"

Then, after another frustrated grunt, Marco felt the young Filipina plop down on the bed beside him.

"Uh… Janna. Not that I particularly care, what with you and Jefferson essentially holding me hostage with your creepy shadow Stand, but are you alright? You sound like you're coming unglued."

"Like you're one to talk, Mr. I Married a Demon."

"Touché. But you see, I'm not the one smacking my friends upside the head because their feeling sentimental."

"Well, _excuse me_ , Marco. But we don't have time for any of Star's stupid crap right now. There's a psychopath out there ripping people's heads off. Not to mention all the other nut jobs in town I have to watch out for. Plus, I have to watch _you_ 24-7 to make sure you don't kill anyone! And Jackie _still_ won't answer her phone! And… and… Sweet Christmas, I'm starving! Do your parents have any chocolate cake or something?"

"No, they don't. But what the hell does… wait, where are we exactly?"

"We're in your room, Diaz. I'm surprised you couldn't tell by the smell. Now, back on topic, what about brownies? Or maybe some cookies? Heck, I'd even take plain old sugar candy."

"Janna, I think all this stress is giving you an eating disorder."

"Oh, what do you know?"

 ** _WHRRMM~ WHRRMM~_**

 ** _WHRRMM~ WHRRMM~_**

"What was that?"

"It's my phone. Hold on. Let me just… _GASP_!

"What? What's happening?"

"It's Jackie! Oh, thank goodness! She's finally calling me back."

 _BEEP!_

"Jackie, where are you? Did you find the book?"

Marco couldn't hear what was being said on the other end, but whatever it was, it was making Janna grind her teeth.

"Who are you? And what have you done with Jackie?"

"Janna? Janna, what's going on?"

"Listen to me, you little piss stain. If you touch one hair on her head, I'll… wait, hey! No! Don't interrupt me! I… Uh-huh… Uh-huh… Uh-huh… NO, _your_ ass is _mine_! Uh-huh… Uh-huh… Okay, he's right here. Hold on."

"Janna, what's…"

" _SHHHH_!" the young Filipina said, before shoving her phone into Marco's hand. "There's a psychopath on the other end and she's kidnapped Jackie. Keep her talking while I go get Jefferson."

But before the blind Latino could even try to reply, Janna was already out the door.

Having no other alternatives, he just shrugged and put the device to his ear.

"Um… Hello?"

"Ah, Marco. So, you really are still alive." Said a familiarly oily voice on the other end. "That's good. I'd hate for you to miss what comes next."

There was a strange sort of distortion in the voice, similar to when Janna had spoken to him through her Stand, but it was still unmistakable.

"You… You're the one who killed the Diamond Dogs. _You_ took Jackie?"

"That's right, _SLURP_! Oh, excuse me. Anyway, yeah, I took your little girlfriend. And that bush-head who was with her too. What's her name again? Oh right, Kelly."

"Kelly? What the hell was she doing with Jackie?"

"Doesn't matter. They're both with me now. And if you ever wanna see them alive again, you're gonna do exactly what I say."

Marco grit his teeth, but managed to keep his anger in check.

"What do you want?"

" _Heh-Heh_. Good boy. Now listen up. I want you to give your boss a message."

"Boss?"

"You know, the old man Janna's always hanging out with. The one who smells like a gin mill."

"Jefferson? Wait, how do you know about…"

"Never mind that, just shut up and pay attention. See, I've set up this little game for the girls to try out. Nothing too complicated. Just a little endurance contest. Should only take about five days. And if they win, they get to come home. But listen, I'm taking a pretty big risk with this little project, and I value my privacy as well as my anonymity. So, I need you guys to do me a favor."

"What kind of favor?"

"Nothing big. Just keep the cops out of this."

"What?"

"You heard me. If word gets out about a missing teen, the cops might start poking around where they shouldn't. And if that happened, I'd have to kill them. And that would draw even more attention to me. So, I'm asking you, please, keep a lid on this. Or else."

"Or else what? You're already gonna kill them if they lose whatever game you've got planned. So, what's my incentive?"

" _Heh-Heh-Heh_ ~ You're a cold one, Diaz. I like that. But if you want incentive, here you go. If the girls lose my game, I'll just kill them like I did those thugs in the alley. But if the cops get involved, or if one of you bozos is stupid enough to try and find me yourselves, I'll do something much worse." The voice explained calmly, before devolving into something more crazed and animalistic. " ** _I'll eat them both alive, and I'll make you watch_**!"

Suddenly, Marco was overwhelmed by an odd but familiar sensation.

A feeling he hadn't felt in over 800 years.

Fear.

"See you around, Cutie Pie~"

 _Click_.

End Notes:

You've all probably figured this out by now, but Part 3 is gonna be a little longer than the first two. Maybe even a lot longer. I don't know. It will take as long as it takes to finish this. Anyway, thanks for reading and I'll see you in the next one.

Peace.


	8. Chapter 7

It's time once again for another installment of my thrilling saga. As always, Star vs the Forces of Evil is owned by Disney and Stands are the creation of the brilliant and talented Hirohiko Araki. Blah. Blah. Blah. Enjoy.

Flowers and Brimstone: Chapter 7.

( _The next morning_ )

"Ugh… Whazzah… Whazzah Fazzah…" Jackie groaned as her eyes slowly fluttered open, before being blinded by a sudden flash of light. "GAAH! Dang it, mom! Close the blinds! I duh… _Yawn_. I don't wanna go to school today. You can't make me."

 _Drip_.

Suddenly, something cold and wet landed on her forehead, causing her to jolt upward from the shock.

"Gah! Alright! I'm up. I'm up. I'll go to schoo…."

But the words died in her throat.

Without the fog of sleep dulling her senses, the young skateboarder was able to get a better look at her surroundings. And what she saw was like a photograph from one of those fancy coffee table books you find in dentist's waiting rooms.

Trees.

Trees as far as the eye could see.

Big trees.

Ancient, hardy old trees whose long, sturdy branches formed a thick canopy that allowed only a few shafts of sunlight to break through.

Long story short, she was definitely _not_ in her bedroom.

"Ugh…" groaned a familiar voice from close by.

To her great relief, it turned out to be her new friend Kelly; who was just picking herself up out of the dirt.

" _Ugh_ … My back! Feels like I slept on a rock!"

"You probably did. Just look where we are."

"What do you mean… _Whoa_ …" the bush-head stared in astonishment as she too took in the full scope of her surroundings. "Where are we? Is this the park?"

"I don't think so." Jackie replied as she slowly got back onto her feet. "The trees are too close together; there's no room for a path. And the grass is all patchy and uneven. No way this could be a park."

"So, what? We're out in the forest somewhere?"

"I guess…" the blonde skateboarder mused, before she noticed something odd out of the corner of her eye. "Wait, what's that on your back?"

"Huh?"

"Your back. You've got a little note taped to your back."

"What in the heck are you…" Kelly said while absentmindedly reaching around behind her. " _Gasp_. Jackie, there really _is_ a note on my back!"

"You don't say."

"Hey, don't roll your eyes at me. I thought you were kidding. Now… let me just take a look at this thing."

And with that, Kelly snatched the scrap of paper from off her back and started reading it.

But as her bespectacled eyes scanned over the crumpled parchment her face grew paler and paler.

"Well, what does it say?"

"Uh… maybe you should read it yourself."

Confused by her new friend's aghast expression, Jackie took the note from her, so she could have a look at it.

It read as follows.

 **Attention!**

 **Player 1 and Player 2.**

 **The Game is Survival.**

 **Here are the Rules.**

 **Kill Player 3 within 5 Days.**

 **Win and you can go home.**

 **Lose and you die.**

 **Have Fun.**

 **Sincerely, Chemical Romance.**

By the time she was finished reading, the young skateboarder's heart was pounding like a kettledrum.

"Oh… this is bad."

"You don't say."

"Oh… Oh geez! Kelly, I think… I think we've been kidnaped by one of those psychos I was telling you about."

"You don't say."

"And I think whoever it was, brought us out here as part of some sick, twisted murder game."

"You don't say."

"Will you stop that!"

"Sorry."

"Now… Now, let's not panic. We just… We just gotta stay calm and… and think." Jackie paused for a moment to try and steady her nerves, and as she did so, she took notice of the tall, old oak tree they were standing beneath. "That's it! Kelly, do you know how to climb a tree?"

"Uh… yeah, of course I do."

"Good. Do you think you could climb up this one?"

"I guess. Why?"

"Well, you know, to get a look around. Maybe if we know where we are, we can figure out how to get out of this."

"Oh, okay. That makes sense." The young bush-head replied as she picked herself up off the ground and dusted herself off. "Sure, no problem. Just give me a second."

And with that said, Kelly then proceeded to do a series of quick stretching exercises, before latching onto the nearest tree and shimmying up the trunk like a giant, aquamarine koala.

Before long, she was so high up in the canopy that her entire body was obscured by foliage; a fact which caused Jackie a great deal of anxiety, even if she didn't fully understand why.

"Hey, Kelly! Are you okay up there?" she called to her unseen companion.

"Yeah, I'm fine! Just hold on a second. I'm almost at the top." Kelly replied, before letting out a loud. " _Whoa_!"

"What? What is it?"

"It's so _beautiful_ up here!"

"That's…uh… great, Kelly! But… do you see any landmarks? Like a building or maybe a bridge?"

"Hold on! Let me just… Oh…"

"Oh? What Oh? Why did you just say Oh?"

"Oh… this is not good. This is very, very not good."

"What's not good?"

"Well… Jackie, I don't know how to tell you this, but…"

"What?"

"Well… you're already pretty freaked out. And I know this is gonna upset you, but…"

"Will you just spit it out already!"

"Okay, Okay… Jackie… I think we're on an island."

"WHAT!"

"I said, I think we're…"

"I heard what you said! But what do you mean we're on an island?"

"I mean, we are presently standing on a small landmass surrounded on all sides by water!"

"Seriously? You choose _now_ of all times to be sarcastic?"

"I think you mean _Sardonic_!"

"Who cares? You understood what I meant!"

"Sorry, just trying to be accurate! Anyway, I don't see any buildings or anything, so it's a safe bet that this island is deserted!"

"Are you kidding me?"

"No, seriously! There's no buildings! No powerlines! Heck, I don't even see a beach!"

"Great. Just great." Said Jackie, this time in her normal voice. "Could this day get any worse?"

 _Rustle~ Rustle~_

 _Rustle~ Rustle~_

"Why did I ask that out loud?"

 _Rustle~ Rustle~_

 _Rustle~ Rustle~_

"Hey! What's going on down there?"

"Kelly, _Shush_!"

"But I just…"

"I said, _SHUSH_!"

 _Rustle~ Rustle~_

 _Rustle~ Rustle~_

That last bit of _rustling_ had been much louder than the ones before. So loud that it took Jackie less than a second to figure out where the mysterious sound was coming from; specifically, from a large patch of bushes just a few feet away. Moments later, a figure emerged from said bushes and shot the young skateboarder a dirty look.

"Oy! Blondie!" called the figure in a gruff, sort of British sounding voice. "You Chemical Romance?"

Instead of answering right away, Jackie took a moment to examine this strange newcomer.

She was a tall, shapely woman, most likely in her late twenties or early thirties, with short, spikey pink hair and eyes like dark emeralds. She was dressed in an open sleeveless leather jacket with a plane white t-shirt, tattered denim jeans, and steel toed boots. Her face and ears were studded with all manner of piercings and ornaments, and upon her back she carried a cherry red Gibson guitar. In short, she looked just like one of those old punk rock British girls they sometimes show on that one music channel.

"Hey! I asked you a question!" the punk girl said sharply, shaking Jackie back to reality. "Now, are you Chemical Romance or ain't ya?"

"No! I-I-I mean, no ma'am. You see…"

"Ma'am? Ma'am! There ain't no ma'ams here, girly. Name's Danni Charles. Got that? Danni. Charles."

"Oh, uh… okay. Whatever you say, Ms. Charles. I was just…."

"Ain't no Ms. Charles' here neither! I already told you. My name is Danni! You better open up them ears, girly. Or you're gonna end up dead. Understand?"

"Yes ma…uh… Danni."

"That's better. Now what about that friend you got hiding in the tree? Is she Chemical Romance?"

"Friend? Uh… what friend?"

"Don't play dumb with me, girly! I heard you two talking just a minute ago. Lie to me again and I'll feed you your own tongue. Got it?"

"Yes ma-Danni. And I'm sorry. But I swear, we don't have anything to do with this. We were kidnapped, just like you."

"Hmmm…" the punk girl went as she stroked her chin in frustrated contemplation. "Oy! You in the tree! Get down here now!"

Clearly needing no other threats or prompting, Kelly leapt down from the tall oak and landed on her feet with the grace of a jaguar; much to the older woman's surprise.

" _AHK_! Sweet Christmas!" she 'swore' in astonishment. "What the bloody hell are you supposed to be?"

"Hey! Don't be rude!" the bush-girl replied indignantly. "I'll have you know I'm considered quite the beauty where I come from. In fact, according to my ex-boyfriend, I'm the most beautiful girl in at least twelve dimensions."

"Whatever, freak." Danni replied dismissively. "Anyway, since neither of you are Chemical Romance, I'm guessing that means you're Players 1 and 2. And if that's the case, then all I gotta do is kill you two bozos and I can go home."

"Wait!" cried Jackie in a panic. "You don't have to do this. If we work together, we can figure out who's behind this and…."

"I already know who's behind this, girly." The punk chick cut in sharply. "If it ain't one of you two simps, then this can only be the work of that sick freak Marco Diaz."

"W-What?"

"You know, that little Latino twerp who killed Fats Dynamite. Me and my mates cornered him in an alley. But the little bastard clocked me one when I wasn't looking. Probably killed the others and got bored. So, he set up a little game to pass the time. Makes sense, I guess. I mean, the guy's a total psycho. Hell, he tortured ol' Fats before setting him on fire."

"That's a lie!" Jackie yelled, suddenly filled with a fiery passion. "Marco would never do something like that!"

"And how would you know?"

"Because I'm his girlfriend! I know him better than anyone! He's sweet and kind and thoughtful and he'd never hurt anyone unless he had to?"

"Oh, is that right?" Danni asked smugly. "Cuz the way I heard it, Marco's main squeeze is a lot shorter than you. And she's got great big horns on the top of her head."

"But… but… no! You're lying! Marco's _my_ boyfriend! He'd never cheat on me!"

"Heh-Heh. Sounds to me like you don't know your boy at all." The older woman said mockingly as she took the guitar off her back and held it like she was going to play it. "But listen, don't you worry one little bit about any of that. Just let me and ol' Georgia Devil take all your cares away."

From out of nowhere, she produced a small guitar pic and raised it high above her head; obviously preparing to strike a chord.

"Here's a little song I like to call, **_The Trumpets of Joshua_**!"

End Notes:

Just to be clear, Georgia Devil is the name of Danni's Stand. 'The Trumpets of Joshua' is the name of a song she's about to play. Her own composition, naturally. I'm sure anyone who was raised in a Christian household or used to be an avid fan of Warehouse 13 will get the reference.

Anyway, thanks ever so much for reading and I'll see you in the next one.

Peace.


	9. Chapter 8

Hello everybody and welcome to the latest installment of my trilling Star vs. series. Not gonna lie, didn't love writing this one as much as I thought I would, but overall, I'd say it's still pretty great. Anyway, Star vs the Forces of Evil is owned by Disney and Stands are the creation of the brilliant and talented Hirohiko Araki. Now that that's out of the way. Enjoy.

Flowers and Brimstone: Chapter 8.

( _Less than half a second later_ )

 _TWANG!_

The pic struck the fist chord, and instantly Danni's entire body was enveloped by an intense and malevolent looking aura.

It was a lot like the one Ringo had given off during their battle, only there was something else mixed in. Some kind of pressure that was pushing up against her chest; making it very difficult to breathe.

Jackie wasn't sure how, but she instantly knew what it was.

Blood Lust.

Somehow, this woman's craving for carnage was so strong that it was literally knocking the wind out of her.

Not good.

"You feel that, girly?" the punk chick asked mockingly. "That pressure? That suffocating force pressing up against your ribcage? That's raw emotion. That's my love of violence made physical. Kinda takes your breath away, don't it?"

Yep, there was no doubt about it.

This woman was seriously twisted.

But before Jackie could try to tell her as much, the aura surrounding the Enemy User started pouring into her guitar; causing the instrument to shake and rattle.

"But listen, if you think that's something, just wait 'til you see **_this_**!"

Suddenly, the Gibson's cherry finish turned jet black and its body started to… well… _mutate_. The neck became all twisted and bent, and silver spikes started jutting out of the sides. A large, demonic looking eye formed near the center, followed swiftly by a wide, gaping maw with sharp teeth and a long, slimy tongue dangling out uselessly. It was a truly disgusting sight.

Although it was not entirely unexpected.

After all, Jefferson had taught her and the others about such things not one week ago.

Why, she could almost hear the old bounder's lecture ringing in her ears.

 _Not all Stands are created equal, kiddies. They come in all shapes, sizes, and levels of pain in the ass. And not all of them manifest themselves the way yours do either. Some Stands can only manifest when their User merges his or her aura with a specific physical object. Usually something of great personal or emotional significance to them. Now, these types of Stands are unusual, in that they can be seen by ordinary people. Which can cause us normal Stand Users no end of trouble, I don't mind telling you. Why, I remember this one time…_

Jefferson had rambled on for twenty minutes after that, about how he and some guy named Ralph Poindexter once ran afoul of a serial killer while bumming around the UK, but somewhere along the line Jackie had stopped listening.

Besides, that was hardly the most important thing to be worrying about at the moment.

"Heh-Heh. You see this, girly?" the punk girl said mockingly, snapping the young skateboarder back to the present. "This here is the real deal. My thoughts and feelings made flesh. The living embodiment of my blackened, bloodstained soul. The…."

"Ah, shut up!" Kelly cut in suddenly. "All you ever do is talk, talk, talk. Is that your special power? Boring people to death?"

"What'd you say to me, _freak_?" Danni replied sharply, her left eye twitching like crazy.

"You heard me. You're boring! And that guitar looks stupid as hell!"

"Kelly! Are you crazy? Don't egg her on!"

"Why not? That ugly cow's gonna kill us anyway. Why not just say whatever we want?"

"Because she's clearly unstable and she might…"

 _TWAAAAANG!_

Danni struck another chord on her demonic guitar and a blast of crackling, static charged sound shot out of its mouth.

Having less than a second to react, Jackie let her instincts take over. She dove to the right to avoid the attack, while simultaneously launching Pinball Wizard at her new friend to push her out of the way. And not a moment too soon. For no sooner were they out of harm's way then did Danni's devastating sonic blast obliterate the ancient oak tree behind them; sending leaves, branches, and chunks of wood flying everywhere.

And, because fate is unbelievably cruel, one such chunk found its way into the skateboarder's right thigh; causing her to howl in agony.

" _AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!_ "

"Jackie!"

" _AH_ -Heh-Heh-Heh- ** _Heh_**!" the punk guitarist laughed mockingly. "Not bad, girly. You've got some good moves. But apparently, not good enough."

" _URRRGH_!" Jackie groaned as she struggled to get back on her feet, but the pain in her side was so unbearable that she nearly passed out. " _YEEERAAAAAGH_!"

Once again, acting purely on instinct, the young skateboarder violently yanked the wooden shard out of her thigh and tossed it to the ground.

'Don't think about the blood. Don't think about the blood.' She thought anxiously as she clutched her side and fought back the urge to vomit. 'Don't freak out. Don't throw up. It's just blood. Just like mom always says. It's just blood. No reason to freak out. You can do this. You can do this.'

Slowly, but surely, Jackie managed to fight through the pain and forced herself back onto her feet.

'Damn it. What's the matter with you? You're not a little girl anymore. You're fourteen. You're a big girl. Big girls aren't afraid of blood.' She thought as she tried to force her legs to stop shaking. 'Come on! Get it together! Kelly's in danger. **_You're_** in danger! This crazy lady's gonna kill you. You're gonna die here unless you do something. Unless… Unless you take her down first!'

Having already gotten Kelly to safety, Jackie launched her trusty Stand at the Enemy User with the force of a cannon. Unfortunately, the older woman was able to avoid this attack with a simple sidestep. Luckily, there were plenty of trees around for Pinball Wizard to ricochet off of. So, after a few quick _PING_ s around the forest, the strange robot Stand came back around for another go; this time, managing to graze the punk girl on the cheek as she dodged.

"Heh. Not bad, girly." She said cockily as she casually wiped the blood off her cheek. "But let's see how you handle **_this_**!"

Then, without any further warning, the mad guitarist started to play her demonic instrument and the air was filled with loud, punk rock music. And as she played, her vile guitar Stand, Georgia Devil, unleashed wave after wave of devastating sonic blasts; aiming at everything in sight with no apparent rhyme or reason. All around them, rocks, trees, and bushes were being atomized; kicking up clouds of dust and debris so thick you could cut them with a knife.

Despite the danger, not to mention the painful gaping wound in her side, Jackie was able to remain calm as she used her impressive athleticism to dodge the flying rocks and branches. A task which proved to be quite easy, since her attacker seemed far more interested in obliterating the scenery.

Very strange.

But luckily, the pink haired psycho soon tired of her assault and took a moment to catch her breath.

"There… _Pant_. _Pant_. That oughta… _Pant_. Do it…" she muttered, sweating like a sinner at Sunday mass. "Now it's… _Pant_. Your turn… _Pant_. Girly…"

"Fine by me." Replied Jackie, trying to sound tough despite the intense pain in her side.

So, with all the grit and determination she could muster, the young skateboarder fired her spiffy speedster Stand straight at the pink haired menace; hoping to hit her while she was down. But, just like before, she just took one small step to the left and it whizzed right past her. However, instead of ricocheting off a tree or a rock, Pinball Wizard suddenly jerked backwards and collided with its User; knocking her flat on her ass.

Naturally, Danni found this scene quite amusing.

"Heh. Too easy." She said with a smug grin. "You disappoint me, girly."

"Wh-What did you do to me?" Jackie asked nervously as she futilely tried to get back on her feet.

"What did I do? HA! That's a good one. You mean you still haven't figured it out? My, aren't we slow." The punk guitarist replied mockingly. "Normally, I can't stand stupid people. But since you look so pathetic there on the ground I'll cut you some slack. Here, watch this."

Suddenly, Danni's intense blood lust started flaring up again, this time stirring up a blast of air that cleared away the dust clouds shrouding the area.

With her view now clear, the young skateboarder was finally able to take in the full scope of her surroundings. And what she saw made her eyes bulge.

What had once been a dense, ancient forest had been transformed into an open clearing; devoid of any solid surfaces save for the ground.

Not good.

"Get it now, girly? Your Stand might pack a wallop, but it's worthless if you can't aim it." Danni said smugly as she started to walk towards her intended victim. "With nothing to bounce off, you can only shoot that thing in one direction. And when it reaches the edge of your radius, it can only go back the way it came. Which makes this pretty much the easiest fight I've ever had."

In an act of fearful defiance, Jackie launched Pinball Wizard directly at her assailant; hoping to strike her at close range. But alas, the result was the same as before. The mad guitarist took one small step to the left and it whooshed right by her. Moments later, the robot Stand jerked backwards and… you get the idea.

"Jeez, girly. Don't you get it? Your Stand can only go in one direction. I destroyed everything in a fifty-foot radius, and by the looks of it, yours is only about thirty. I've reduced your options to only one painfully predictable move. You can't win."

Acting solely on instinct, Jackie fired her Stand yet again and, of course, got the exact same result. But that didn't stop her from repeating the same failed strategy again and again until she was completely exhausted. Unfortunately, by then the mad guitarist was directly in front of her; a murderous yet bored look in her eye.

"How disappointing. It took me less than a second to figure out your weakness and you're not even trying to figure out mine. God, I hate fighting amateurs." She said as she prepared to strike the chord that would seal Jackie's doom. "Oh well, let's just get this over…"

 _WHAM_!

From out of nowhere, Kelly suddenly dove in and struck the pink haired lunatic in the back of the head with a large tree branch; causing her to both release her Stand and double over in pain.

Wasting no time, the bush-girl picked her friend up off the ground and carried her into the woods like a knight rescuing a helpless damsel.

Within minutes, they were well out of sight of their attacker, but Kelly just kept on running.

"Are you okay?" she asked the injured young blonde in her arms.

"Yeah… thanks to you." Jackie replied, weakened but grateful. "So, what now?"

"Well… first we find somewhere safe to hide so I can treat your wound."

"Okay, then what?"

"Then… we wait for one of us to come up with a better plan."

"Oh…" the young skateboard said worriedly.

And with that, they disappeared into the dark and unfamiliar woods.

End Notes:

Well, that's the end of another one. Hope you liked it.

Please don't forget to fav or leave a comment on your way out and I'll see you in the next one.

Until then,

Peace.


	10. Chapter 9

I was gonna save this chapter for later, like maybe as the last one before the epilogue, but I decided I couldn't wait. Consider this the halfway point. Anyway, Star vs the Forces of Evil is owned by Disney and Stands are the creation of the brilliant and talented Hirohiko Araki. Blah. Blah. Blah. Enjoy.

Flowers and Brimstone: Chapter 9.

( _Whimsy Valley, Mewni: the next day)_

It was the second day of the Annual Whimsy Valley Farmers' Market and Lord Mildrew was on cloud nine.

Now, you might find it odd that a nobleman of such high standing would get this excited about an event intended for commoners, but it's really not all that unusual.

For you see, in addition to being a gentleman, a romantic, and a bon vivant, Lord Mildrew was also a gourmet, and as any true gourmet will tell you, one must never shy away from a delicacy, regardless of where it comes from or who prepares it.

Still confused?

Well, you're not from Mewni. So, you wouldn't know about Whimsy Valley.

Please, allow me to explain.

You see, Whimsy Valley is a large agricultural community on the southern end of Mewni, lorded over for twelve generations by a benevolent line of baronets, more commonly known as the Whimsy Clan. Now, since the conditions in the south are all wrong for growing corn, the farmers of Whimsy Valley were forced long ago to abandon their kingdom's signature product in order to preserve their livelihoods. Naturally, each farmer had their own idea about what their new staple should be, which led to some rather spirited competition, which in turn led to the production of a wide variety of foodstuffs that could be found nowhere else in all of Mewni. And every year, for one whole week, the members of this little agricultural enclave put their finest wares on display; in the hopes of both turning a profit and showing up their neighbors.

Starting to see the allure yet?

No?

Well, regardless, it was about midday and Lord Mildrew was in high spirits. Since arriving at the market several hours ago, the good nobleman had already purchased four cases of Mr. Entwistle's succulent blackcurrant jelly, three of Mrs. Flaversham's scrumptious walnut cakes, five jars of Mrs. Carbuncle's decadent pickled walnuts, nine bottles of Mr. Pennyapple's sinful elderflower wine, two cases of Mrs. Milkem's heavenly organic honey, and three and a half pounds of Mr. Funny-Name's homemade strawberry flavored goat cheese, and he showed no signs of stopping anytime soon.

Naturally, he wasn't carrying all of this himself; in fact, he hadn't even technically paid for it all yet. But he'd made arrangements with the vendors to have the goods loaded onto his carriage before departing, at which point he would pay them what he owed, plus a little extra for their troubles. Ordinarily, farmers would be suspicious of such an arrangement, especially with a nobleman from so far north, but luckily most of the vendors knew Lord Mildrew from years past and knew him to be trustworthy. Besides, he was brother-in-law to the current baronet of the valley, Sir Atlas Whimsy, so his credit was pretty much unlimited.

But alas, I once again diverge from the point.

Now, as I was saying, it was about midday and Lord Mildrew was strolling through the busy market; catching the eye of every young Mewman girl he passed. True, he wasn't quite the perfect specimen he'd been in his youth. His hair was a little shorter and his stomach was much wider, as is the curse of any true gourmet, but all things considered, he wasn't a bad looking fellow. In fact, I'd even go as far as to call him classically handsome.

However, the Lord's attention was not on his looks, or the girls, or even the food, surprisingly. But rather on the two youths who were walking along side him.

The first was a young Mewman lad, about fifteen years of age, with ginger hair, dark blue eyes, and a saber on his belt. His name was Solaris. The son of Mildrew's only sister and the future baronet of Whimsy Valley. A bit boisterous at times, but overall a wonderful chap. And quite talented too. Painter. Poet. Swordsman. A real Mewnian Renaissance Man… er… Boy.

The other was a sand colored, anthropomorphic wolf creature around the same age called Blood-Nose; so named for the strange, scarlet discoloration of the fur around his mussel. A bit of a roughneck, honestly, but quite nice as far as monsters go. Always happy to see his friends. Always sad to see them go. Always up for a little good-natured roughhousing. Why, is it any wonder he and young Solaris were such good pals?

Yes, you heard me right. The son of the local bigwig, Sir Atlas Whimsy himself, was best friends with a monster.

How, you ask?

Well, it's really not all that complicated.

You see, the members of the Whimsy Clan have always been known as progressivists and monster sympathizers. The previous baronet, the late Sir Hephaestus Whimsy, was a great supporter of Queen Comet's efforts to make peace with the indigenous peoples; even offering his services as lead negotiator. He was also a vocal critic of the current monarchy; calling Queen Moon's actions following her mother's death "the cruel and shortsighted acts of a spoiled vindictive brat who knows as much about pain and suffering as a fish knows about oxygen". An opinion he never deviated from until the day he died.

Sir Atlas, the current baronet, was much like his father; though he believed actions spoke much louder than words. Rather than trying to shame the royals into changing their ways, he decided to change the way Mewmans viewed the monster community from the bottom up; starting with his own domain. Whenever a problem arose between the Mewmans and monsters of Whimsy Valley, Sir Atlas the Wise would step in and make sure that both sides saw things from the other's perspective; insuring that they'd come to a reasonable agreement. What's more, he instated something he called a "Good Neighbor Policy" and banned the celebration of certain holidays that glorified the brutal massacre of the indigenous peoples.

Not that it really took much to get the local farmers to follow his way of thinking. After all, they couldn't shut themselves off from the rest of the world like the nobles and royals. They lived right next to the monsters and saw what kind of squalor they were forced to live in. They knew what it was like to endure dry summers and harsh winters, and what it felt like to go hungry. Granted, the two species weren't exactly buddy-buddy, but the farmers did occasionally 'forget' to lock their storage cellars and the monsters made sure to never take more than they needed.

It was far from a perfect system, but it certainly beat the alternative.

"Are you enjoying the market, Uncle?" asked Solaris, snapping the older Mewman out of his trance.

"Wh-What? Oh, um, sorry, Solaris. Did you say something?"

"Yes, I asked you if you were enjoying the market this year. Are you alright?"

"Oh, ur… yes, of course, my boy. I'm quite alright. Just a little distracted. That's all."

"By what, gov?" asked Blood-Nose, his voice a little greasy but his tone respectful.

"Eh, nothing you chaps would be interested in. Just… lordly stuff, and all that."

"Oh." The young lycanthrope replied dully. "So, like Sol was saying, you enjoying the market this year, gov?"

"Oh my, yes." He answered with a genial smile. "The sun is shining. The weather is gorgeous. The merchants' wares are as impressive as ever. Shame there are no fish mongers here, but overall I'd call this a smashing success."

"You like fish, your lordship?" Blood-Nose asked excitedly. "Well, me and dad are going fishing tomorrow. Would you like to join us?"

"Er… That's… very kind of you, dear lad. But I'm afraid I must leave first thing in the morning. Very important… lordly things to do back home, you know. And besides… I'm not really much of a fisherman. Don't care for worms, you see."

"Worms? Whatcha mean worms?"

"You know, to use as bait"

"You're supposed to use bait?"

"Of course, you put it on the end of the hook."

"You're supposed to use hooks?"

"Er…" Mildrew said, his eyes darting around for something to derail this awkward conversation. "Say, why don't you boys head over to Mrs. Lambershire's stall and pick up some of her spellbindingly scrumptious toffee apples. My treat."

"Really, Uncle?" asked Solaris excitedly.

"Oy! You're a right proper prince, gov. That's for true!"

"Yes. Yes. Now run along, boys. And do tell the old dear I said hello."

"You got it, Uncle. Come on, Blood-Nose."

"Right!"

And with that, the two boys hurried off to collect their treats.

But as they did, Lord Mildrew couldn't help but smile at his young nephew.

'Artemis, you've raised him to be a fine young lad.' He thought sweetly to his beloved sister. 'I just know he'll grow into an even finer man.'

"Excuse me, Lord Mildrew." Said a vaguely familiar voice from somewhere behind him. "Might I have a word with you?"

Ever the gentleman, the good lord obliged the stranger's request and turned around. But when he did, he saw not a farmer or a monster, but a small, cloaked figure wearing a peculiar looking rubber mask; a 'gasmask' if he remembered correctly from his early schooling.

"Um… hello there." He said politely, despite his clear confusion. "Can I help you?"

"Yes." The masked figure said bluntly. "And you can start by getting on your knees."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me. On your knees, scum."

"Now see here. I am a Lord of Mewni, and I will not be spoken to in such a disrespectful…"

 _SHING_!

From out of nowhere, the tiny figure produced a rapier and pointed the blade directly at Mildrew's jugular.

"Uh… right. On my knees then, was it." He said nervously as he obeyed the figure's demand; earning the attention of several onlookers.

" _Tsk_. Too easy." The figure said with a strange mix of satisfaction and disgust. "You're even more pathetic than she said you'd be."

"I… I beg your pardon?"

"I mean, associating with known dissidents is one thing. But to actually _befriend_ one of those repugnant freaks of nature! Disgusting! Have you no pride as a Mewman?"

"Please, I-I-I don't understand. I think there's been some kind of mistake."

"No mistakes. Just vermin and traitors." The figure said as it opened its cloak, revealing at least thirty sticks of dynamite attached to a strange mechanical vest. "And I'm here to exterminate you all."

 _Click_.

Something activated on the mysterious mechanism, causing all the fuses to light simultaneously.

Lord Mildrew's eyes went wide with terror.

"HEAR ME NOW, YOU TRAITOROUS DOGS!" the figure yelled; earning even more attention from the crowd. "IN THE NAME OF HER MAJESTY, QUEEN MOON THE UNDAUNTED, I CAST YOU ALL INTO A FIERY HE…"

 _SHING!_

 _SHING!_

 _SHING!_

 _SHING!_

 _SHING!_

In the blink of an eye, the entire scene changed.

Suddenly, the cloaked figure was lying flat on its back; its sword cast aside, its fuses cut, and its mask torn to shreds.

Standing over it, with his own sword aimed directly at the villain's throat, was young Solaris; his eyes burning with righteous fury.

"Flick thy serpent's tongue again, knave, and I shall remove it for you." He said in a calm yet threatening tone. "Blood-Nose, is my uncle alright?"

"Don't know. I'll ask him." the young lycanthrope replied, suddenly standing right next to the shaken lord. "You alright, gov?"

"Oh… y-yes, my boy. I'm quite alright." He lied as he attempted to regain his composure. "Just… Just a little shaken, that's…"

But the words died in his throat, as Mildrew suddenly got a look at his assailant's exposed face.

Without the mask, the cloaked figure was revealed to be a young Mewman girl, about Solaris' age, with short orange hair, green eyes, and freckles.

"You… I… I know you." The older Mewman said dumbfoundedly. "I've seen you around the capitol. You're Sir Stabby's squire."

"My name is Higgs! You fat bastard!" the young girl spat venomously.

"But… But why? Why would you do this? Why would you attack me and threaten all these innocent people?"

" _Innocent_?" she said mockingly. "Is that supposed to be funny? These people are all dissidents! Traitors! They follow the teachings of a radical. They spit on our sacred traditions. And worst of all, they defy the will of our beloved Queen by giving food to those disgusting monsters! You're a disgrace to your species! All of you! You all deserve to die!"

"Oh, shut up." Solaris said sternly. "You spout nothing but empty rhetoric. From birth you were taught to hate monsters. But did you ever once stop to ask why?"

"They're ugly, they smell bad, and the Queen hates them. What other reason do I need?"

"I see. Then you are indeed a fool."

"No! You're the fool! You all are!" the young squire shouted viciously, before she started raving like a lunatic. "Monsters are a virus! A weed! You don't befriend a weed, you kill it! Don't you see? We Mewmans are the master race! The supreme beings! Monsters are vermin! A threat to our purity! No! You're all infected! Infected by their filth! I'll kill you! In the name of Queen Moon, I'll kill you all!"

 _WHAM_!

Rather than making good on his earlier threat, Solaris socked the ranting girl right on the jaw; knocking her out and putting an end to her mad preaching.

Then he turned to his friend.

"Blood-Nose. Go get my father and tell him what's happened. I'll stay here and keep an eye on her."

"You got it."

And with that, the young lycanthrope hurried off to fetch Sir Atlas, while Lord Mildrew and his nephew looked upon the unconscious girl with a mix of disgust and pity.

A short distance away, an old man dressed in a tattered trench coat and fedora sat down on a crate of preserves and watched the ever-growing crowd.

And as he fed the large black crow on his shoulder a handful of birdseed from his pocket, he listened to their thoughts with wicked glee.

 _I can't believe this. It's like a nightmare._

 _Sir Atlas was right. The Queen's rhetoric is poisonous._

 _Turning little girls into suicide bombers. Does the Queen have no shame?_

 _First my brother dies in her war. Now this. Damn Queen's gonna get us all killed._

 _Was she acting alone, or did the Queen order this?_

 _Poor little girl. Brainwashed by the establishment her whole life. It's downright heartbreaking._

 _Wouldn't surprise me if this whole thing was the Queen's idea. She's always been an entitled racist._

 _Spoiled vindictive brat. Bet her mother's turning over in her grave right now._

 _The whole royal family's a bunch of racist lunatics. I heard the King once burned down a whole cornfield just to kill some hungry scavengers._

 _And that Princess is no better. Always busting in on innocent monsters. Wailing on them just for laughs. Sick little freak. Like mother like daughter._

 _Is this what it's gonna be like from now on? I can't take this._

 _Someone's got to do something._

 _I say it's high time we had someone new in change._

 _The Butterflys are all racists. They should be deposed._

 _Queen Moon is a racist nut._

 _Racist hag._

 _Psychotic bigot with bad taste in men._

 _Down with Queen Moon._

 _Down with Queen Moon._

 _Down with Queen Moon._

"I must be dreaming." The old man said with a smile; showing off his mouth full of rotten teeth. "It just can't be this easy."

End Notes:

BOOM!

I've been waiting forever to write this chapter.

I hope you liked it.

Please leave a comment before you go, and I'll see you in the next one.

Peace.


	11. Chapter 10

No fancy intro this time. Star vs the Forces of Evil is owned by Disney and Stands are the creation of the brilliant and talented Hirohiko Araki. Enjoy.

Flowers and Brimstone: Chapter 10.

( _Echo Creek, California: the following afternoon_ )

The situation was looking grim.

It had been almost three days since Jackie and Kelly's abduction and the team was no closer to finding them or their mysterious captor than when this whole mess started.

And to make matters worse, Marco was still recovering from his fight with the Diamond Dogs; despite having all his physical injuries healed by Jefferson, his sight had yet to return. The older Stand User believed his condition to be psychosomatic and that his eyesight would return once he came to grips with whatever trauma he was reeling from.

Personally, Marco thought this was a load of bunk, but regardless if it was true or not, the facts remained the same. Jackie and Kelly were in danger and the team's ultimate weapon was out of commission.

Yes Sir, things were looking bleak.

Fortunately, Jefferson was as proactive as he was chemically dependent, so he wasn't taking any of this lying down. Which is why he'd gathered them all together for what he called an 'Algonquin Round Table' in Marco's living room after school; in the hopes of unearthing a solution that wouldn't end in bloodshed.

"Okay, let's get this show on the road." The older Stand User said in a commanding yet tired tone from his position in Marco's dad's easy chair. "Star, you first. How are Jackie's parents holding up?"

"Well, the mind control spell worked like a charm." The young princess replied, trying to sound optimistic. "Right now, they're probably trying to give cough syrup to a stuffed unicorn."

"Which I'd like back when this is over." Annie said sharply, only to be ignored.

"That's the good news. The bad news is that the spell only lasts about a week. And once it wears off it won't work on them again."

"I see. Then we'll need to come up with a contingency plan just in case… er… well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Jefferson said awkwardly, before shifting his attention to the blind 'God of Destruction'. "Okay, Diaz. What's the word on your… situation? Anyone at school getting wise?"

"No, not yet. Although people keep asking me why I'm suddenly wearing shades all the time." The young Latino answered, before letting out an exasperated sigh. "Having Kung Fu Fighting be my eyes is pretty handy, but it's also exhausting. And Skullnick noticed me sweating in class today. We need a more long-term solution."

"I'm working on it." The older man replied, his tone suggesting that he wasn't going to elaborate. "But in the meantime, we need to focus on our biggest problem. Namely, the unidentified hostile running around and ripping people's heads off. Janna, have you turned up anything?"

"Nope, I got nothing." The young Filipina answered sullenly. "I turned this whole neighborhood upside-down and the only other Stand User I could find was some fat guy in a black van. And I'm pretty sure he's just tailgating."

"Maybe she's not here anymore." Star cut in speculatively. "I mean, whoever this is stole Marco's Dimensional Scissors. So, she could be anywhere in the universe."

"No, she's still here. I can feel it." Marco replied bluntly. "When we were talking on the phone, she demanded that we not let the police get involved. She wouldn't do that if she was just gonna up and leave. So, she must want to stay."

"Of course, she does." Jefferson interjected. "Echo Creek is her home. It's her hunting ground. She's not just going to abandon it. Not after all this time."

"What do you mean?"

"I called an old associate of mine yesterday and asked him to do a little digging in the local PD's database. Turns out our innocent little Echo Creek isn't so innocent after all. Seems that over the last nine years there've been over eight hundred unsolved murders in this neighborhood alone. Each one a dead ringer for what happened to the Diamond Dogs. But since the victims were all either homeless or illegal immigrants the cops have been sweeping them under the rug."

"Good Lord." The young Latino muttered, disturbed and disgusted by what he'd just learned. "And did your _associate_ turn up anything else?"

"No, nothing useful. Although this information has helped me form a profile of our mystery killer. And unfortunately, it's now clear that we're not dealing with some lucky amateur. Whoever this chick is, she's smart. Crazy smart. Smart enough to massacre over eight hundred people and stay off both the police's radar and the Biederbeck List. In short, we're dealing with a pro. Janna, any thoughts?"

"Well… based on the information, the subject seems to have no regard for human life. But up 'til now she's only killed people whose deaths wouldn't make the papers or warrant a lengthy investigation. So, she kills for pleasure but likes to play it safe."

"Good. And why do you think that is? Anyone?"

"Um… she doesn't wanna get arrested." Annie supposed.

"No, with her powers she could probably take down the entire LAPD. Hell, she all but threatened to do just that when she talked to Marco. No way she's scared of the cops."

"Maybe she just doesn't want attention?" Star interjected. "I mean, if people knew what she was or what she was doing, they'd be after her all the time. And not just the cops, but other Stand Users. She'd never have any peace."

"A killer who just wants to be left alone. I can almost relate. Almost. But tell me, if she's so obsessed with staying under the radar, why did she suddenly break her pattern? Why kill a bunch of high profile psychopaths like the Diamond Dogs and then kidnap a young, attractive, high school student? Someone whose disappearance would be all over the news?"

"Well, I think I can explain the Diamond Dogs part." Marco spoke up suddenly. "I mean, they were fighting me, after all. And with our combined reputations, it'd be easy to fool the Stand User Community into thinking we all just killed each other."

"Uh… what do you mean by 'your reputations'?"

"Star, shut up. Paco here's on a roll."

"Er… right. Anyway, I think that was her plan. But then she got her hands on my Dimensional Scissors and everything changed."

"Yes… little girl gets her hands on a shiny new toy and just has to play with it. Sounds like we've got a regular Audrey Freemont on our hands."

"Yeah, I have no idea what that means." Janna said bitterly. "I also don't see how any of this helps us find Jackie."

"It helps us because now we have a better idea of what we're up against. Now we're not just rushing in blind." The older User answered, trying not to sound condescending. "And speaking of the visually impaired, there's something I've been meaning to ask you, Diaz. When our mystery psycho stole your Scissors, what was her reaction?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, did she know what they were right away, or did she have to work you over for information?"

"Um… well, I'm not sure. I was pretty out of it, remember." He replied, before something clicked inside his brain. "Wait… now that I think about it… I think… Yes, she did know what they were. Only… she didn't know what they were called. She called them Magic Scissors instead of Dimensional Scissors."

"Is that right. Huh… And tell me, how many people on Earth know about Dimensional Scissors?"

"Uh… I don't know. Everyone at school, I guess. And most of the teachers too. Star isn't exactly shy about the whole Magical Princess thing."

"Uh-huh… well then, that narrows down our list of suspects quite considerably."

"Wait… you don't think it's a student, do you?"

"Either that or a teacher. But given how much the kidnapper already knew about each of us, coupled with her childishness and total lack of empathy, I'd say a student is much more likely. After all, there's nothing as cruel or as vicious as a high school girl."

"Voice of experience?" Janna asked slyly.

Unfortunately, before Jefferson could think up a clever retort, Marco cut them both off.

"Now hold on." He said, his voice dripping with skepticism. "There's no way it could be a student. We'd 've sensed her at school by now. Hell, even I can't keep my aura cloaked for that long."

"You could, if you're aura was unreadable." The older User replied cryptically; earning several confused looks from his students.

"Is… is that even possible?" asked Annie, sounding more than a little worried about his answer.

"Unfortunately, it is." He said, before letting out an almost mournful sigh. "Ever since this mess got started, I've been getting a weird sense of Déjà vu, and now I finally know why. Hope you're comfy, kiddies. Cuz I've got a story to tell."

As always, Jefferson took a moment to pause for dramatic effect, before he continued.

"It all started back in the mid-14th Century. In those days, the area now known as Britain's South West Peninsula was under the dominion of a cruel and twisted Stand User by the name of Count Rupert Murray. Now, I have no idea what kind of Stand he had or what it could do, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that Murray was a total psycho. Every night, he'd go out and kidnap random people from the local villages. Then he'd throw them into this crazy, trap filled maze he had built under his castle and he'd offer them a deal. If they got out by sunrise, he'd let them live. But if they died or were still in the maze when the sun came up, he'd… eat them."

Suddenly, Star let out a horrified squeak and the blood started to drain from her face.

"Yeah, like I said, a total psycho. _Sigh_. Anyway, for ten long years, Murray the Man-Eater terrorized the countryside and every morally conscious Stand User who dared to get in his way ended up with their head on a pike. And this was because, somehow, Count Murray figured out how to make his aura unreadable. And when I say unreadable, I mean _unreadable_. He could be standing ten feet away from you behind a tree and you'd never know it until after he gutted you. Hell, even animals couldn't sense him. He was like a ghost. No one could sense his aura, so no one ever saw him coming. He could always get the drop on anybody and everybody was terrified."

Marco stiffened just a bit; not so much from anxiety, but from anticipation.

He could sense that Jefferson was about to get to the good part.

"But then one day, a stranger came to the Count's domain. A wandering Italian by the name of Edoardo Zeppeli. Apparently, word of Murray's twisted games had reached his home in Naples, so he sought to end him and free the people of the peninsula from his reign of terror. Idiotic, I know, but bear with me on this. Chivalry and selflessness were still in style back then. Anyway, my source was a little sketchy on the details, but apparently Zeppeli was also a Stand User and somehow, he was able to get the drop on the Count and do him in. The villain was slain, the people were saved, all that crap. But unfortunately, this wasn't a fairytale, so the story doesn't end there."

The older man paused again, this time to fix a crick in his neck.

"Ah, that's better. Anyway, Count Murray wasn't a storybook villain, so he didn't live in his big castle all alone. He had a wife and nine children, and they were all just as twisted as he was. So, fearing for future generations, Zeppeli decided to hunt down and massacre the entire Murray family. Now, as I recall, the wife and the five sons died the same night as the Count, but the daughters all managed to escape. The eldest, I believe was thrown from her horse the next morning and broke her neck. The two middle ones died three weeks later; both of them hanged due to a case of mistaken identity. Miraculously, the youngest daughter managed to get across the English Channel and fled to France. Of course, by then the Black Plague was in full swing, and with so much death and hysteria going around, Zeppeli lost track of her. After another three months of searching, he eventually gave up, assuming she'd been killed in the epidemic, and returned to his home in Naples, where he spent the final forty years of his life content in the knowledge that he'd rid the world of a great and terrible evil. The End."

The story had come to a close, and yet nobody had anything to say.

Somehow, they all knew that Jefferson wasn't finished.

"That story was told to me by the great Italian master, Caesar Zeppeli, so I know every word of it to be true. However, just imagine for one second that the elder Zeppeli had been mistaken. What if the Count's daughter didn't die in the plague? What if she survived, grew up, got married, and had children of her own? And what if she shared with those children her father's secret for an unreadable aura?"

"Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, Whoa!" Star interjected suddenly. "Are you saying that someone at _our_ school is the descendant of a superpowered, mass murdering cannibal?"

"I know it sounds farfetched, but right now it's the only explanation that makes sense."

"Okay, let's assume for a second that you're right." Said Marco out of the blue. "What do we do about it?"

Jefferson didn't answer right away.

Instead he crossed his arms and furrowed his brow in concentration.

After about a minute or so of this, he straightened up and said,

"Kid, I have no f***ing idea."

End Notes:

I just want everyone to know that editing this chapter was a bitch and a half.

I hope you all appreciate how much effort I put into this.

Anyway, thanks for reading and I'll see you in the next one.

Peace.


	12. Chapter 11

I apologize in advance if this chapter isn't as exciting or interesting as the last few, but I promise it will pick up again soon. Anyway, Star vs the Forces of Evil is owned by Disney and Stands are the creation of the brilliant and talented Hirohiko Araki. Blah. Blah. Blah. Enjoy.

Flowers and Brimstone: Chapter 11.

( _Mysterious Island: the next day_ )

Jackie stood at the base of an ancient willow tree.

She had no memory of how she got there or even where 'there' was, but for some reason that didn't seem to bother her.

No, all that mattered to her was the music.

That haunting, yet soothing melody that filled the air and dulled her senses.

It was sort of like a lullaby, only instead of making her sleepy, it just sort of made her feel… at peace.

As if the last few weeks were nothing but a bad dream.

All was right with the world.

On a whim, the young skateboarder looked up towards the source of the music and, to her surprise, she saw a man relaxing on one of the high branches. Only, he wasn't an ordinary man. He had the face and upper body of a man, but the legs and horns of a goat.

Jackie recognized him from a picture in a book Janna had once shown her.

His name was Pan.

The ancient God of the Wild.

A character straight out of mythology and yet there he sat.

Playing his entrancing melody on his enchanted pipe.

Yes…. All was right with the world.

Suddenly, Jackie's eyes snapped open and she was back in the damp, smelly cave she'd been forced to sleep in for the last three nights.

Her back was aching, and her side was still sore from when she pulled out that chunk of wood.

And on top of all that, she was going to be murdered tomorrow by a deranged lunatic unless she could somehow defeat a different deranged lunatic who had already kicked her butt five ways to Sunday.

Everything was terrible again.

"Morning, Jackie." Said Kelly warmly as she entered the mouth of the cave; a large dead boar slung over her back. "Check it out. I caught us some breakfast."

"Oh goodie." She replied sarcastically. "Roast boar… again."

A bit rude, perhaps, but perfectly understandable. For you see, dear reader, aside from some birds and a few poisonous snakes, boars were the only creatures indigenous to this island. Which, as I'm sure you can imagine, severely limited the girls' dining options during their little 'vacation'.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sick of it too. But hey, it beats starving to death." The bush-girl said casually as she tossed the dead behemoth to the ground. "So, you just getting up?"

"Yeah, I had that dream again. You know, the one with Pan and the old willow tree."

"Wow, that's weird. The same dream every night since we got here. Wonder if that means something."

"Yeah, it means that eating pork three times a day will give you weird dreams."

"Hey, now don't go getting all crabby on me, Ms…. uh… Crabby Crabberson. I'm just trying to lighten the mood."

" _Sigh_. I know. I'm sorry, Kelly. I just… tomorrow…"

"Hey, now don't you worry about that. It's still early and we've got all day today and… most of tomorrow to figure out a way out of this mess. Trust me. Everything is gonna be just fine.

Kelly was obviously lying, but something about her cheerful disposition made Jackie feel a little bit better. But alas, that still didn't change anything. Tomorrow was still looming over them and they were seriously short on options.

Danni had already exposed Pin Ball Wizard's glaring weakness and demonstrated her proficiency at exploiting it. So, fighting her head on was out.

Running away wasn't an option either. For, even if they could successfully build a boat without alerting Danni to their location, the island had no beach. It was surrounded on all sides by steep cliffs and it was a ninety-foot drop into the ocean. No way to survive that.

Kelly suggested stockpiling some food and hiding out in the cave for a few weeks in the hopes that after killing Danni, Chemical Romance would lose interest. A risky gamble, and even if it worked, it wouldn't solve anything. No one knew where they were, so they'd just be stuck on that island for the rest of their lives. Growing fat and lazy like the boars they were forced to eat.

 _Shudder._

Nope, no matter how she looked at it, there was no happy ending in sight.

 _Rip_.

Oh, right. I forgot to mention. Although her wound had all but completely healed, the area was still pretty tender. So, every so often, Jackie would get a sudden jolt of unbearable pain in her side. And when I say unbearable, I mean seriously **_unbearable_**. The kind of pain that makes your eyes roll into the back of your head. Imagine being stabbed in the stomach by a long, jagged knife made of frozen acid.

Are you imagining it?

Good.

Anyway…

" ** _AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!_** " Jackie howled in agony as she was suddenly overcome by the pain I just described to you a second ago.

"Oh dear." Kelly said concernedly. "Is your wound acting up again?"

" ** _AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!_** "

"I'll take that as a yes. Hold on, I've got just the thing."

And with that, the young bush-head reached into her back pocket and pulled out a small brown bag. Then, from out of said bag, she pulled a little black mushroom and held it up for her friend to see.

"See this, Jackie? This is a Morpheus Mushroom. This'll fix you up in no time."

" ** _UGH_**! Where did you get that?"

"In the woods. I found a bunch of them growing on a rotting tree stump."

" _EWW_! I'm not putting that in my mouth! **_AAAAAAH_**!"

"It's either that, or I can chew it up for you and force-feed it to you like a momma bird."

Not liking Option B, Jackie quickly snatched the disgusting fungus and shoved it into her mouth.

However, the instant the offensive spore touched her tongue the young skateboarder's senses were overwhelmed by a strange and wonderful euphoria. Suddenly, all the pain and anxiety of the last few days just disappeared; leaving behind only fluffy clouds and sugar rainbows.

"Whoa…" said Jackie, not realizing that she'd already swallowed the funky fungus.

"Well, do you feel any better?"

"Whoa…"

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Whoa… what was that?"

"It's called a Morpheus Mushroom. It's a rare fungus from my home dimension that, when consumed, induces a mild euphoria and, in certain humanoid species, can accelerate the healing process tenfold."

"Whoa-wait, wait! Your home dimension? I thought you said you found these in the woods?"

"I did."

"But what's a mushroom from your dimension doing on Earth?"

"Yeah… listen, Jackie. Don't take this the wrong way or anything, but Earth isn't all that special. I mean, there's nothing here that can't be found in at least a dozen other places in the universe. And most of the things you think your species invented, stuff like vending machines, the internet, and instant coffee, have actually been around for thousands of years on like a million other worlds. Hell, this isn't even the only planet with humans on it. So, if anything, Earth is just one big grab bag of other planets' leftover crap. No offense."

"How the hell am I not supposed to be offended by that?" the young skateboarder asked irritably. "And why am I so cranky all of a sudden? How come I'm not happy anymore?"

"The euphoria from the mushrooms only lasts about a minute. You're probably going through withdrawl."

"Well, then give me some more."

"No way, Jose." Kelly replied adamantly, before stuffing the bag back in her pocket. "One mushroom's good for a quick painkiller. But eat too many and they can really mess you up."

"Oh, come on. One more can't hurt."

"No! I've seen what happens when people OD on these things. It messes with their brain chemistry. No more mushrooms for you. That's final."

"Ugh… fine."

And with that, Jackie crossed her arms and started to pout.

"Aww~ Don't be like that. It's just a fungus."

"Yeah, a fungus that briefly made me forget that we're gonna die tomorrow."

"Will you stop saying that. We're not gonna die. We'll figure a way out of this mess and then we're both gonna go home. Okay?"

"Kelly… how can you be so positive? This whole week's been like a nightmare."

"Easy, death just doesn't scare me." The bush-girl answered bluntly. "And besides, it hasn't been all bad. I mean, aside from the crazy people trying to kill us, hanging out with you has been a lot of fun. Way more fun than I ever had with Tad."

Jackie couldn't help but blush a little at the compliment.

"Gee, I… uh, I don't know what to say. Thanks, Kelly."

"Don't mention it. But listen, let's not talk about all that stuff until after breakfast. Let's talk about something else. Like… why are you so scared of blood?"

A lump suddenly formed in Jackie's throat.

"Wh-What makes you think…."

"Jackie, I was there. I saw that look in your eyes. You were terrified, and not just of Danni. So, what's the deal?"

" _Sigh_. It's… kind of a long story."

"Well, you might as well tell me. I mean, we're obviously not going anywhere."

"Alright, Alright…" she said reluctantly. "I guess it all goes back to when I was four. That's about as far back as I can remember. My dad used to take me to the park every Saturday. One day, there were these kids playing with a soccer ball and they asked me if I wanted to play too. Dad said it was fine, so I ran over to join them. But while I was running, one of the other kids tried to kick the ball over to me and he ended up hitting me right in the forehead. Next thing I knew, I was screaming my lungs out. Blood running down my face and getting in my eyes. _Shudder._ It was… it was awful."

"Good Lord. And you were only four years old?"

"Yeah… I think that was the first time I ever saw my own blood. Or at least that much of it. And ever since, I can't even smell the stuff without freaking out."

"Oh, you poor thing. But wait, if you're so afraid of blood, why did you take up skateboarding? People get hurt doing that all the time."

"Actually, that was my mom's idea. She's a psychiatrist. She thought it might be a good way to help me overcome my fears. I never really understood her reasoning, but I guess it worked. I'm a lot better than I used to be, and skateboarding became a huge part of my life. But still… blood… it just… _Shudder_."

"I get it. Some things never go away. At least not completely."

"Yeah… tell me about it."

An awkward silence fell over the cave.

"So… what do we do now?" asked Jackie after what felt like an eternity.

"First, we eat breakfast. Then we try to come up with a game plan."

And with that, the young bush-girl went over to prepare a hardy, but ultimately unappetizing meal for herself and her injured companion.

End Notes:

Well, that's the end of this chapter.

Again, sorry if it wasn't that exciting.

The next one should be much better.

Anyway, thanks for reading and I'll see you all next time.

Peace.

BTW, are their any OK KO or Storm Hawks fans out there?

Because I've got ideas for stories about those series' and I was wondering if anyone is interested.


	13. Chapter 12

Hello, and welcome to the next chapter of Flowers and Brimstone. Not much to say this time around so let's just get started. Star vs the Forces of Evil is owned by Disney and Stands are the creation of the brilliant and talented Hirohiko Araki. Yadda. Yadda. Enjoy.

Flowers and Brimstone: Chapter 12.

( _Fourteen hours later_ )

Night had fallen over the Mysterious Island and our young heroines were enjoying a peaceful and much needed slumber.

Well, Kelly was anyway.

Jackie, on the other hand, was a nervous wreck.

Having spent the entire day shooting down one bad idea after another, the young skateboarder eventually came to the conclusion that their only option was to try and take Danni by surprise. And even though her new friend had promised to watch her back, she was less than optimistic about her chances.

In all likelihood, they were both going to die horribly.

So, with her gory demise looming over her like a black cloud and her mind racing from one bad scenario to another, Jackie just laid there on her side of the cave; silently praying that someone would come along and bash her over the head with a baseball bat.

Anything to end this suffering.

'So, this is it.' she thought to herself frantically. 'This is how I'm gonna spend my last night on Earth. Tossing and turning on a dirty cave floor and wondering. Wondering what it's gonna feel like to be atomized. Wondering if I'm gonna scream. Wondering what comes after. If anything. Or if it all just goes black. Oh, God! This must be what it's like on death row!'

 ** _ZAAAAAAAAAAAAWP!_**

An unbearable, but all too familiar sound snapped the young skateboarder out of her internal monologue. Kelly was on her side of the cave; snoring like a buzz saw and drooling like an infant.

'How the hell can she sleep like that? A psycho's gonna blast us into nothing tomorrow.' She thought with equal parts rage and panic. 'Then again, maybe she's got the right idea. I mean, if I get some sleep then I won't be tired while I'm fighting Danni. And if I'm not tired I'll be more alert. And if I'm more alert I might see an opening and turn the whole thing around. Yeah, that makes sense. Only one problem. I can't fall asleep!'

Suddenly, Jackie noticed something out of the corner of her eye. A small brown blob laying motionlessly on the cave floor. Upon further inspection, she recognized it as the leather bag Kelly had shown her earlier. The one that contained the Morpheus Mushrooms.

'Huh… guess she must've dropped it while she was cooking.' She thought absentmindedly. 'You know, that one mushroom really took the edge off before. Maybe one more could relax me enough to help me fall asleep.'

Jackie slowly reached over to grab the little brown sack, but then stopped herself about halfway.

'No! What am I doing? Kelly said these things were dangerous. And like crazy addictive. They could seriously mess me up.' She reminded herself, before deciding to continue. 'But on the other hand, it's been over twelve hours since I ate the first one. And… I just need one more to help me sleep. Yeah, just one more can't hurt. Right?'

Not waiting for someone to answer, she quickly snatched up the leather bag, pulled out a small mushroom, and popped it into her mouth.

Instantly, a familiar euphoria overtook her senses.

Everything was wonderful again.

Colors were brighter.

Sounds were more soothing.

The world was just so marvelous and… then it was over.

The world was dark and horrible again.

'Oh, come on! That didn't last nearly as long as last time!' she thought bitterly as the withdrawal symptoms kicked in. 'Ugh! Must've grabbed a dud or something. Well… just one more probably won't hunt.'

So, with her mind muddled by fungus withdrawal, Jackie pulled out another mushroom, this one much bigger than the last, and popped it into her mouth.

Suddenly, the familiar euphoria returned, this time accompanied by a strange distortion of color.

The world was looking psychedelic, baby.

'Whoa… now we're talkin'' she thought as she bobbed her head to the beat of the dancing colors. 'Oh yeah, this is nice. This is real nice. But, I'm not really sleepy yet. Maybe just one more.'

Already under the influence of the mind-altering Morpheus Mushrooms, the young skateboarder grabbed a fistful of the funky fungi and shoved them into her mouth.

World's gettin' kinda groovy, baby.

'Oh yeah… Oh yeah… this is the good stuff…' she thought as a trail of drool started running down her cheek. 'Just one more… one more should do it.'

Without even thinking, Jackie poured the remaining mushrooms directly into her mouth.

That's when things got weird, baby.

XXX

( _An unknown amount of time later_ )

Before continuing with our story, it is worth noting that the Morpheus Mushroom, so named because it was once believed to have originated from the mythical Land of Dreams, is among the most useful and most dangerous fungi in the known universe.

Useful, because when prepared properly, it is the main ingredient in over twenty thousand healing potions.

Dangerous, because when consumed in its natural state, it is one of the deadliest and most addictive psychotropic drugs in seventeen dimensions.

In fact, the addictive qualities of the Morpheus Mushroom are so powerful, that if a person consumes more than one within a seventy-two-hour period they will completely lose all self-control and devour every funky fungus they can get their hands on.

The good news for Jackie is that by this point she'd already eaten all the Morpheus Mushrooms on the island. And, as long as one doesn't feed the addiction, it eventually goes away once all the toxins have worked their way out of the body.

The bad news is that very few people have ever survived consuming that many mushrooms at once.

So… you can see why there was cause for concern.

Anywho, let's get back to Jackie and her little… odyssey.

For what felt like hours, the young skateboarder had wandered through a vast and colorful landscape.

It is impossible to put into words exactly what she was seeing, but for your benefit I shall attempt to describe it as best I can.

Imagine that Henri Rousseau painted a jungle scene based on a dream he'd had after going eleven nights without sleep. Now imagine that Salvador Dali saw this painting and decided to paint his own jungle scene based off it but in his own style. Now imagine that Pablo Picasso saw Dali's jungle scene and decided to paint something similar but in the cubist style. Now imagine that Kurt Vonnegut saw this painting and decided to write a ten-page short story describing the bizarre jungle scape but in his own words. Now imagine that Andy Warhol read this short story and decided to make a paint by numbers picture based on his interpretation of Vonnegut's descriptions. Lastly, imagine that Jackson Pollock found this paint by numbers picture and decided to color it in while high off his ass on cocaine.

For those of you with an art history major and a vivid imagination, this should be enough to give you a vague idea of what Jackie was seeing.

For everyone else, just forget about it and focus on the narrative.

At any rate, the young skateboarder was stumbling through her imaginary landscape without a care in the world; giggling like a drunk and gawking at every little thing like a first-time tourist.

Completely unaware that at any moment her heart could give out.

Fortunately, however, before this could happen, someone intervened.

"Hey, stupid!" called a gruff but even voice from out of nowhere. "Yeah, that's right! I'm taking to you, blondie!"

"Wha?" she replied in a daze. "Who said that?"

"I did, genius."

"Wh-Where are you?"

"Down here."

"Where?"

"Look down, dumbass!"

Despite her less than coherent state of mind, Jackie had enough control of herself to do as instructed. However, to her astonishment, she soon realized that the owner of the mysterious voice was, in fact, one of the wild boars that inhabited the island.

"Oh, hello there, Mr. Piggy." She said in a manner similar to that of a young child. "Do you wanna be friends?"

"Okay, first of all, my name is Stewart. Not _Mr. Piggy_." The talking boar said annoyedly. "And second, no, I don't wanna be friends. Partly because you smell like piss. But mostly because you and your weird looking girlfriend ate a bunch of my relatives. Including my mother."

"Oh… I'm sorry."

"Look, don't worry about it. All that matters now, is that I've been sent here by the island's King to tell you that if you don't come with me right now, you're gonna die."

"Are you threatening me?"

"No, stupid! I'm saying you just ate a bunch of poisonous mushrooms and if you don't get help soon, you're gonna die."

"Oh… I don't think I want that to happen."

"No, you don't. So, shut up and follow me."

"Okay, Mr. Piggy. I trust you."

"It's Stewart!"

"Okay, Mr. Piggy."

" _UGH!_ It's like talking to a block of marble."

XXX

( _Fifteen to twenty-seven minutes later_ )

As Jackie followed her porcine guide deeper and deeper into the forest, the landscape slowly became less abstract.

What's more, the closer they got to wherever Stewart was taking them, the more her mind began to clear.

By the time they were almost at their destination, Jackie was back in the real world and almost completely coherent.

"My… My… My head…." The young skateboarder said slowly as she regained her senses. "Feels like… a fog is lifting."

"Yeah, that'd be the King's work." The talking boar answered bluntly. "He's using his powers to remove most of the mushrooms' toxins from your body. But he's leaving just enough so you can still understand me."

"Uh… what?"

"Oy vey. Look, it's very simple. Those mushrooms temporarily boosted your Cosmic Awareness. That's why you can understand what I'm saying."

"Cosmic Awareness… what's that?"

"The King can explain it better than I can. So just be patent, alright."

"Okay, but can I ask you something before we get there?"

" _Sigh._ I guess. What is it?"

"Do animals have souls?"

"What the hell kind of question is that?"

"I don't know. I mean, most people say they don't. But you seem pretty smart, so I thought I'd ask."

" _Sigh._ Moron. Look, a soul isn't what you think it is, but short answer, yes. Animals have souls. In fact, all living things have souls. As do certain types of machines."

"Wow… then I guess that means I should become a vegetarian."

"No, vegetables have souls too. As do all other plants. You can't win."

"Wow… this is unbelievable. People need to know this stuff. I should tell someone."

"Good idea. Maybe you should write it all down on a golden tablet. Or better yet, maybe you should buy a farm in Guyana and serve fruit punch."

"Okay, I was just thinking out loud. You don't have to be a jerk about it."

"I think we both know that's not true. Anyway, we're here."

Suddenly, Jackie found herself standing at the base of a large and ancient looking willow tree.

She wasn't quite sure why, but something in her gut told her that his was a sacred place.

"Where are we?" she asked with quiet awe.

"We're at the center of the island. The King's domain." Stewart answered bluntly, before turning around to leave. "This is as far as I go, so good luck. And try not to stare. He hates that."

"What do you mean?"

But alas, the talking boar had already departed. So, with no one else to talk to and no other options available, Jackie decided to push on ahead and meet this so-called King.

Once beneath the ancient tree's ethereal canopy, the young skateboarder's ears were struck by a peculiar, yet strangely familiar sound. On a reflex, she looked up and there, reclining on one of the high branches, was the being from her dreams; the great wilderness god, Pan himself.

Only… something wasn't quite right.

In all the pictures she'd seen, Pan was never playing a ukulele.

Nor was he sporting a big, jet black pompadour.

Or wearing sunglasses.

Or a Hawaiian shirt.

Or a speedo.

What the hell?

"Oh, hey! You made it." The strange goat-man said in a robust and swaggering voice. "You had me worried there for a second. I thought you might be dead."

"No, I-I'm alive. And I'm sorry to make you wait, but… who are you?"

"What, didn't Stewart tell you? I'm the King around these parts, baby. So, in a word, _I rule_."

End Notes:

This chapter was a lot more fun to write than the last one.

I hope you all liked it.

Anyway, thanks for reading and I'll see you in the next one.

Peace.


	14. Chapter 13

This is a long one, folks. So, buckle up. Star vs the Forces of Evil is owned by Disney and Stands are the creation of the brilliant and talented Hirohiko Araki. Blah. Blah. Blah. Enjoy.

Flowers and Brimstone: Chapter 13.

( _Picking up where we left off_ )

Wasting no time, the pompadoured goat-man sat up on his lofty perch and then dropped down to the ground with a soft _THWUMP_.

Now that he was standing directly in front of her, Jackie could see that he was a whopping twelve feet tall; easily towering over her like a colossus.

"Hey, you alright, sweetheart?" he asked, apparently sensing her anxiety.

"Y-Yeah, I'm alright." She replied, half lying. "Just a little nervous, I guess. I mean… I've never met a god before."

"God?" he said, sounding genuinely confused. "What the heck are you… _Oh_! You mean this? Oh, no, no, no, no, no. You got it all wrong, baby girl. I'm no god. I'm as mortal as you."

"What?"

"The being you see before you is just my Stand, Aloha Oe. My real body is over there."

Jackie looked where he was pointing but saw only the trunk of the ancient willow.

"Is it… behind the tree?"

"It is the tree."

"Uh… _what_?"

"Yeah… I'm a tree. Probably should've led with that. Sorry."

"B-B-But that's impossible. Trees can't talk. And they definitely can't have Stands. Only people have Stands."

"Really? And who told you that?"

"My… My Stand Teacher."

"Another human, no doubt." The goat-man said, with a not so subtle roll of the eyes. "You're all so proud of your Stand abilities, and rightfully so, but you neglect your Cosmic Awareness. It's one of the reasons why human Users tend to be so… unstable."

"Cosmic Awareness? Stewart mentioned that earlier. What is it?"

"It's… kinda complicated. But basically, it refers to how deeply one understands the true nature of the universe. Most humans only achieve Level 3 or 4 Awareness in their lifetimes. I myself am at Level 18; not that I'm bragging or anything."

"How many levels are there?"

"Twenty-seven in total. Of course, to reach a level higher than eighteen, I'd have to abandon my physical body and convert my consciousness into pure energy. Which, as I'm sure you can imagine, would be a bitch and a half."

"Um… okay… Listen, not that this isn't fascinating and all, uh… Mr. Tree. But… why am I here?"

"Oh, right, of course. How rude of me." The goat Stand said embarrassedly, before quickly resuming its usual swagger. " _Ahem_. Permit me to introduce myself, fair lady. I am the king of this island. And my name is… _The King_!"

"The King?"

" _Yes_!"

"Your name is just… The King?"

" _That is correct_!"

"That's a really weird name for a tree."

"Well, what were you expecting, a wood pun?"

"No, I just thought… you know, with you being a king and all, you'd have a more… regal sounding name."

"Kid, I'm a tree. Most trees don't even have names. We're not like humans. We don't need names to tell each other apart. You know what, we're getting off topic again. Let's start over. _Ahem!_ I am The King! For five thousand years I have ruled over this island; sharing my great wisdom with all who are willing to learn. My roots stretch under every inch of the great forest. Nothing happens within my domain without my knowledge."

"Is there a point to this?"

"Yes, little miss killjoy. I'm trying to tell you that I know about your situation and I wanna help you."

"Really? That's great! I've been going out of my mind all week. But if you can beat Danni for me then…"

"Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Hold on there, missy. My Stand is _not_ built for combat. I'm not going anywhere near that psycho."

"But you said…"

"I _said_ , I would help you. And the best way to do that, is to help you help yourself. See, I saw your fight with Danni and I know how you can beat her. Your Stand has an ability you don't know about yet. All you have to do is master it, and it's game over for Little Miss Diamond Dog."

"Okay, so what's my new power?"

"I can't tell you."

"Oh, come on!"

"Sorry, I don't mean to keep jerking you around like this, but I can't just tell you, you wouldn't understand. You have to figure it out on your own."

"Well, I don't exactly have a lot of time, you know. I gotta fight that psycho tomorrow or else another psycho 'll rip my head off!"

"I know, and I'm gonna help you, I swear. But you have to let me help you my way, otherwise it won't work. Okay?"

" _Sigh_. Okay. So, what's your way?"

"First, I must tell you a little story. And I'm not gonna lie, I'm gonna be dropping some major bombshells. Real, S-Rank, paradigm shattering pearls of cosmic wisdom. So, you probably wanna sit down."

"Oh, um… okay." The young skateboarder said before squatting down and adjusting herself into a seated position. "Is this good?"

"Yes, now listen carefully. The story you are about to hear comes from a lifetime of meditation and reading the Cosmic Ley Lines. It contains several of the universe's most ancient and jealously guarded secrets. This is not something to be taken lightly. Do you understand?"

"Y-Y-Yes Sir." Jackie replied nervously. "I understand."

"Good. Now then, I shall begin with the ending." The King began cryptically. "Roughly 150 trillion years ago, a universe, having reached the end of its lifespan, collapsed in on itself, and all the matter and energy that once existed in it was compressed into a single mass of carbon, roughly one and a half times the size of our sun. Naturally, no one was around to name it, but I like to call it the Mother Rock."

The young skateboarder said nothing, but she was very interested in what the goat-man was saying. It sounded a little farfetched, but it was certainly fascinating.

"For eons, this lifeless mass was the only thing left in all existence; a lone object floating through a dark and infinite void. But then one day, about 14.8 billion years ago, a miraculous thing occurred. A second object, more or less the same size, suddenly appeared within the void. But unlike the Mother Rock, this new object, which I like to call the Catalyst Comet, was composed not of carbon, but of pure pyonium; an element of unimaginable power."

"Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Back it up a second." Jackie interrupted suddenly. "You're saying this comet thing just appeared randomly out of nowhere? That makes no sense."

"Actually, it does, when you consider the nature of pyonium." The King corrected her casually. "You see, pyonium is an incredibly rare element which can bend the laws of space and time. It's likely that the Catalyst Comet was the remnant of some other dead universe and upon its creation the properties of the pyonium within were activated. Thus, propelling it across multiple realities."

"Oh… I guess that makes sense. I think."

"Yes, well… anyway, when the Catalyst Comet appeared, the pyonium energy reacted with the carbon of the Mother Rock, causing them to collide. Resulting in a tremendous explosion; an event you humans colorfully refer to as 'the Big Bang'."

"Wait… so you're saying our universe was created by the remnants of two dead universes crashing into each other?"

"Eyup."

"Wow… that's… that's unbelievable."

"Actually, it's more common than you might think. But let's try to stay on topic. _Ahem_. Anyway, from that one random occurrence, our universe was born. And over time, new worlds were formed, and life began to take shape. But unlike the lifeforms we know today, these primordial beings all possessed a rather unusual ability. Namely, the ability to summon forth powerful avatars made of psychic energy."

"You mean Stands?"

"Bingo, baby. In the beginning, all lifeforms had Stands; regardless of their shape, form, or species. And for a time, it was pretty bitchin'. However, as time marched on, some civilizations came to see Stands as primitive and vile. So, instead of looking within themselves for strength, they began drawing in the energy of the universe itself. An act that would one day become the basis of what you call 'magic'. Unfortunately, this also caused a shift in the Cosmic Ley Lines, and over the next few generations, the number of Stand Users grew smaller and smaller. Until finally, there were no more. Before long, Stands faded into myth, and eventually they were forgotten completely. The Age of Stands had ended, and the Age of Science and Sorcery began."

This time, Jackie had no question or reply. She was too transfixed by the goat-man's tale.

"Now, those species who were exposed to Magic on a regular basis, either directly or indirectly, they lost their Stands completely. But on worlds like this one, where the Magic levels are low or nonexistent, the potential for Stands remained. However, the shift in the Cosmic Ley Lines caused them to become inert. In short, we still had the locks, but we lacked the keys. And so it would have stayed, if not for an incident which occurred on this planet roughly 65 million years ago."

"65 mill… isn't that when…"

"Correct! An asteroid roughly 15 kilometers in diameter collided with the Earth, triggering an extinction level event. But what your scientists don't know, is that this was no ordinary asteroid. It was a mass of solid carbon charged with pyonium energy."

"Wait… are you saying…"

"Correct again! The asteroid that killed the dinosaurs was, in fact, a shard of the Mother Rock. And when it hit, pieces of pyonium charged carbon were scattered all over the planet. Eons later, early humans began finding these pieces and, sensing the power within, carved them into spears and arrowheads to use for hunting. However, it wasn't long before they discovered the rocks' true power."

Suddenly, Jackie remembered the story Jefferson had told her just a few days earlier.

"Wait… you don't mean…"

"Ding! Ding! Ding! That's three for three, Jackady! The spears and arrows had the power to activate the dormant Stands within any lifeform they pierced. And once they realized this, those hunter gatherers started using them on themselves in order to attain this great power. And thus, the Age of Stands was born anew; albeit on a much smaller scale."

"Oh, I think I get it." Said Jackie, hoping she wouldn't be interrupted this time. "So, people who are born with their Stands today are the descendants of people who had their Stands activated by the arrows in the past. That's why there're so few of them."

"Wow, you really do pick things up fast." The goat-man replied, making Jackie blush a little. "In total, there were twenty arrows made from the shard of the Mother Rock, and eleven spears. And through the millennia, those artifacts changed hands more times than anyone can remember; passing through every human civilization that has ever existed at least once. But of course, as these civilizations became more advanced, people began discovering other ways to awaken their Stands, such as drugs and meditation. Over time, many of the spears and arrows were destroyed or became useless with age, so the other methods became the standard. Today, only two arrows remain. One is hidden within my roots; entrusted to me almost four thousand years ago by a great mauri warrior for safe keeping. The other, I can't say for sure, but I know it's still intact. I can sense it."

"Whoa…" the young skateboarder said in astonishment. "This is some heavy stuff."

"I know, and it only gets heavier from here on out." The King replied with an uneasy sigh. "Jackie, I've told you all this because I want you to understand something. This universe is connected in ways you can't even begin to comprehend. And the only way to understand these connections is to learn to think outside the box. To not base your perceptions on what you think you already know."

"I don't understand.

"You will." He said cryptically, before continuing. "Now listen, in order for you to discover your Stand's true power, I must first open your mind to new possibilities. And to do that, I must show you a Cosmic Ley Line."  
"What?"

"That's right, one runs right through this island. Did you think it was coincidence that your captor chose this island out of all the others? No, it was fate. Jackie, it is your destiny to gaze into the Cosmic Ley Line and learn the secrets of the universe."

"I… I don't know… I don't think I'm ready for something like that."

"Full disclosure, you're not. At your current level of Awareness, you'll be unable to retain or even comprehend most of what you'll see. And what little you can will most likely drive you mad. That is why you must remember what I've already taught you. Remember that all things are connected. Learn to think beyond your preconceptions. And open yourself to new possibilities. Now, are you ready?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Of course, you do. This is going to be intense. I need your full consent."

"Well… if it helps me save Kelly and get the heck outta this place, I guess I'm in. Okay, Your Majesty, let me have it."

"If you insist." The goat-man said with a playful shrug, before placing his palm directly on Jackie's forehead. "Oh, there's one little thing I forgot to mention. There's a good chance that this will permanently alter your brain chemistry. So, you'll probably be a different person when you wake up."

"Wait, _what_?"

"Doesn't matter. Okay! Let's make it happen, Cap'n!"

And before she could even try to respond, Jackie's mind went blank.

Then, for one split second, she saw _everything_.

End Notes:

Fun Fact: Pyonium is a fictitious element created by Masafumi Harada.

Anyway, thanks for reading and I'll see you in the next one.

Peace.


	15. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: The views expressed within this chapter do not necessarily represent my own. They are merely an experimentation with character development and themes. It is not my intention to offend anyone in anyway. With that said, Star vs the Forces of Evil is owned by Disney and Stands are the creation of the brilliant and talented Hirohiko Araki. Yadda. Yadda. Enjoy.

Flowers and Brimstone: Chapter 14.

( _Echo Creek, California: the next morning_ )

Life was not going so well for young Marco Diaz.

In the span of one week he'd been beaten near to death by street thugs, lost his eyesight, and gotten his girlfriend kidnapped by a deranged lunatic and possible cannibal.

Granted, he'd long gotten over his boyhood crush on Jackie and was only going out with her now to keep up appearances, but that didn't mean he didn't still care about her.

She was loyal and sweet and just plain fun to be around.

But more than that, she was still innocent.

And innocence must be protected.

Unfortunately, the young Latino had failed in this most important duty, and now Jackie was paying the price.

Life just couldn't get any worse.

"Hey, Diaz! Over here!" called the familiar and loathsome voice of his Stand teacher; the often-inebriated Jefferson Speedwagon.

Apparently, I spoke too soon.

On a reflex, Marco turned his gaze towards the source of this intrusion, and after summoning Kung Fu Fighting to act as his eyes, he saw that it was indeed his much-despised associate. Although, oddly enough, he was sitting behind the wheel of what appeared to be a jet-black Camaro.

"Whose car is this?" the blind Latino asked confusedly. "Oh my God. Did you steal this?"

"It's Jojo's, you ass. Now shut up and get in."

"What?"

"I said, get in. I'm giving you a ride."

"Did Star but you up to this? Look, I know I'm blind, but I can still walk to school on my own."

"You're not going to school today. Now shut up and get in the car."

"What?"

"Get. **In**. **_Now_**."

Confused, but a little intimidated, Marco complied with his teacher's command and within moments, he was sitting across from the old drunk in what he assumed was a mooched convertible.

"Buckle up." He instructed, before taking his foot off the break and punching the accelerator.

Fortunately, it was still pretty early, so the streets weren't very crowded.

Not that Marco was particularly concerned about getting into an accident. Even if there was a collision, Kung Fu Fighting would automatically spring forth to absorb most of the damage. And besides, he wasn't the one driving, so he wouldn't be the one to take the rap.

But still, he had technically just been kidnapped by his least favorite person in the universe, so…perhaps there was some cause for concern.

"Where are we going?" the young Latino asked, attempting to sound calm and casual.

"You ask a lot of questions, Diaz. That's not very charismatic. Makes you come off as a little Nosey Parker." Jefferson replied, while keeping his eyes on the road. "But since you asked, I've come up with a solution to your little… ocular condition, and I'm taking you to see a specialist."

"What, like an optometrist?"

"Don't be stupid. I already told you, your blindness is psychosomatic. And since you can't/won't deal with your issues yourself, I've had to call in someone to do it for you."

"So… what? You're taking me to a shrink?"

"Not exactly."

"Wow, way to be unnecessarily cryptic."

"Look, just shup up and let me drive, will ya."

" _Ugh_. Fine, whatever." Marco groaned, before quietly adding. " _Prick_."

"What was that?"

"I said, what are you gonna do about my parents? They think I'm at school. And when school finds out I'm not there, they're gonna call my parents and ask them why."

"What do you think I am, an amateur? I already called the principal's office. I just pretended to be your dad and told them you were sick. It's fine."

"But you've never met my dad. You don't know what he sounds like?"

"True, but I do a pretty good impression of Desi Arnaz. Good enough to fool your principal anyway."

"Jeez. Is every adult I know a racist?"

"Probably." He answered bluntly, before letting out an uneasy sigh. "Look, Diaz. I think it's high time we cleared the air between us."

"Why bother? You'll just foul it up again later."

"Oh, come on. I'm trying to extend an olive branch here."

"Well, you can take that olive branch and shove it up your ass, you old drunk."

"Okay, that's it!"

 ** _SCREEEEEECH!_**

Marco tensed up as Jefferson slammed on the breaks.

He could feel the rage surging off the older User like a tidal wave.

"Alright, listen up, you scrawny little turd. You've been acting like a jackass since the day we met. You've been disrespecting me and disregarding my orders and causing nothing but trouble."

"Me? This whole thing is your fault! None of this would be happening if you hadn't plowed into Star with your stupid car."

"Maybe so, but let's go over some of _your_ bad decisions over the last few weeks. First, instead of listening to what I had to say back when this all started, you tried to rat me out to the cops; costing me that big job interview and the dream job I've wanted since I was twelve. Then, instead of following my explicit instructions, you tried to skip out on Stand practice to hang out at your dojo; effectively leading two of the deadliest psychos on the planet straight into the path of an innocent bystander. A bystander who happened to be a friend of mine. Then, drunk on your own self-righteousness, you become a demon's boytoy, so you can take your revenge; letting her turn you into a bigger monster than Fats ever was. Oh, and let's not forget what happened this week. If you'd simply come to practice like I told you to, you wouldn't have been ambushed by the Diamond Dogs or that other psycho. You wouldn't have lost your sight or had your Scissors stolen. And Jackie and Kelly wouldn't be in mortal danger right now. Notice a pattern yet, Diaz?"

"Look, I'm not an idiot, okay. I know I've screwed up. And I know that if Jackie dies today it's on me. But, you're not exactly blameless in all this, you know. I mean, did it ever occur to you that maybe I'd be more willing to follow your advice if you weren't such a racist jerk all the time?"

"You know, your generation really likes throwing that word around, but do you even know what it means? Cuz let me tell you something, _Diaz_. It may not be easy being a minority in America. But it's no picnic being a white American everywhere else. You hate it when I call you Paco, try being called 'White Devil' or 'the Great Satan'. Try being shot at or spat on just for having a certain accent. Try being blamed for all the evil in the world because of the actions of people you've never even met. Your generation talks about racism like 'the White Man' invented it. But it's been around since the dawn of time and it's much uglier than you can possibly imagine."

Marco didn't quite know how to respond to this.

So instead, he just remained silent and let the older User continue.

"But you know, as bad as things got for me in Asia, and Africa, and the Middle East, I still managed to meet good people. People who were willing to risk their lives to help a penniless stranger, and a foreigner no less, simply because they believed it was the right thing to do. I became friends with many of these people and I will always be grateful to them for the kindness they showed me."

Suddenly, Jefferson's expression grew stern and cold.

"But I received no such treatment from your people. In all the time I spent in Latin America, I received nothing but scorn and violence. And not just from the criminal elements, but from the ordinary citizens too. Hell, an Argentinian police officer once beat me bloody just for looking at him. So, forgive me if I have nothing nice to say about you Hispanics."

Again, the young Latino didn't know how to respond to this.

However, one question did immediately jump to the front of his mind.

"Okay… but if you resent my people so much, why do you wanna help me?"

"Because we're in a crisis, Diaz. And in the long run, prejudices and personal feelings are meaningless. Do you know what you call someone who puts prejudice over their own survival? A moron, that's what. If you wanna survive in this world, you have to learn how to work with people you don't like. It's called being an adult."

"Fair enough, but that still doesn't explain what I'm doing here."

"You're here because this is the last day of what's her name's sick game. So, either Jackie's coming home or… well, regardless of what comes next, I need you on your A-Game. Which is why I've set up a little something to help you get your mojo back."

Marco sensed that Jefferson was about to elaborate on this, but before he could, their ears were suddenly struck by an awful din.

 ** _HONK!_**

 ** _HONK!_**

 ** _HONK-HONK!_**

"OUTTA THE WAY, JACKASS!"

"MOVE IT!"

 ** _HONK!_**

 ** _HONK!_**

Marco didn't need his eyes or his Stand to realize what was going on.

"We're blocking traffic."

"I can see that, Diaz!"

XXX

( _Fifteen to twenty minutes later_ )

After narrowly avoiding what surely would have been a violent altercation with several irate motorists, Jefferson drove his young student to a familiar setting; specifically, to the clearing on the far end of the park where they usually meet to train.

Technically, they could've just walked there, but then the old master wasn't exactly thinking clearly.

And, how could he?

I mean, he was essentially making a deal with the devil.

"What are we doing here?" asked Marco, sounding both confused and irritable.

"We're waiting." He answered bluntly, trying to hide his unease.

"Well, I can see that. But I mean, who or what are we waiting for?"

"Remember when I said that sometimes you have to work with people you don't like in order to survive?"

"Yeah."

"Well, now is one of those times. See, your problem is that the Diamond Dogs broke your spirit. And since you can't fix it on your own, we'll need the help of someone who knows you… _intimately_."

"You mean…"

But before the young Latino could finish, he was cut off by the familiar sound of something tearing a hole through time and space.

Moments later, a large red portal opened up in front of them, and a familiar horned witch stepped through.

"Hex." Marco whispered under his breath; with equal parts surprise and excitement.

"Aww~ My poor widdle hubby wubby~" Hekapoo said in a sickeningly cutesy tone. "What did those nasty ol' Diamond Doggies do to you?"

"Oh, Hex. It's so good to see you. I mean, I wish I could see you. With my own eyes."

" _Shh_ ~ It's okay, baby. Jefferson told me all about it. How those meanies busted you up. Got you all twisted up inside." The little Scissors Enforcer said sympathetically, before she started to purr with lust. "But don't you worry. Your sweet, cute Heka-Poopsie's gonna make you all better~"

"Just make sure you remember our agreement." Jefferson cut in sternly. "He's technically still a minor. So, nothing too out there. And I need him back and on his A-Game by three o'clock."

"Yes, yes, I remember." Hekapoo said dismissively, having already picked up her blinded beau and cradled him in her arms. "Don't sweat it. I'm taking him to my home dimension. We'll have plenty of time."

"Good. Now hop to it." The old master said sharply, before turning around to head back to his car.

"Wait, Jefferson." Marco called to him before he could get too far. "I just… thank you for doing this."

"Don't mention it." He replied without turning around, before reaching into his back pocket for a pack of cigarettes. 'This whole thing makes my skin crawl.'

Ends Notes:

And thus, ends another chapter.

I think there'll be about five more before it's done.

That said, thanks for reading and I'll see you in the next one.

Peace.


	16. Chapter 15

Sorry that this one's a little shorter than usual, but it is what it is. Star vs the Forces of Evil is owned by Disney and Stands are the creation of the brilliant and talented Hirohiko Araki. With that said, Enjoy.

Flowers and Brimstone: Chapter 15.

( _Meanwhile, on the Mysterious Island_ )

Jackie was drifting through a sea of infinite blackness; her mind a total blank.

As promised by the King, by gazing into the Cosmic Ley Line, she had essentially downloaded all the information in the universe into her brain.

Unfortunately, it was too much for her to retain at her current level of Cosmic Awareness, so really, the only thing it accomplished was triggering a sensory overload and knocking her out cold. But, all things considered, it could have been much worse.

As she floated through the great darkness, she could hear a few lingering threads of Ley Line data whispering in her ears.

It sounded something like this.

 _All gold comes from supernovas._

 _The pyramids were built by humans but plagiarized from Martians._

 _Pigs are the descendants of a once proud warrior race that was enslaved by early Mesopotamians._

 _The separation between matter and energy is a lie._

 _Reptilians have not invaded Earth, they came here looking for work._

 _All things vibrate at their own frequency._

 _The Hobyah Man is still alive._

 _Tulips are smarter than most dolphins._

 _Air molecules carry the vibrations of human speech._

 _Festivia Butterfly was really a…_

" ** _JACKIE!_** "

Suddenly, the young skateboarder's eyes snapped open, and she was back in the real world.

To be precise, she was back beneath the shade of the King's lush canopy, being cradled in the arms of her new friend Kelly. Who, despite the fact that she had tears streaming down her face, seemed overjoyed to see her.

"Jackie!" the bush girl cried, pulling her into a tight embrace. "Oh, thank goodness! _Hic._ I was _Hic Hic_ so worried _Hic_ about you."

Apparently, she'd been crying for some time; the hiccups were a dead giveaway.

"Uh… yeah. Hey, Kelly. I was just…"

" _Shhhh_ ~ It's okay, sweetie." The bush girl said in a soothing voice as she gently stroked Jackie's hair. "You don't have to say anything. _Hic. Hic._ And try not to _Hic_ move too much. You've been through a _Hic Hic Hic Hic_ lot."

"Kelly, what day is it."

"That doesn't _Hic_ matter right now."

"It's the fifth day, isn't it? I have to go fight Danni."

"No, you _Hic_ don't. We'll figure out some other _Hic Hic Hic_ way."

"Kelly, there is no other way. I have to go."

"No, you don't!" the bush head said hysterically, pushing Jackie back just a bit so she could look her in the eye. "Jackie, you almost died. _Hic_. And it was _Hic Hic_ all my _Hic_ fault. If I hadn't brought you those stupid _Hic_ mushrooms, then you wouldn't 've _Hic Hic Hic_ gotten addicted and _Hic_ and _Hic_ and _Hic_. Oh god, Jackie! I'm so sorry!"

As she sat there, watching her friend sob uncontrollably, the young skateboarder felt a strange sensation welling up in her chest. It was… difficult to describe. There was guilt, of course, for putting the poor girl through so much turmoil. But more than that, there was something she'd never felt before. A strong, almost overpowering desire to protect and comfort this sad creature. To make her smile and laugh again. To scoop her up in her arms and tell her that everything's going to be alright.

What was this strange new feeling?

Could it be…

 _Air molecules…_

" ** _Ugh!_** " Jackie groaned in agony as her forehead started throbbing; forcing her to push away from her bush headed friend.

"Jackie? _Hic._ "

"I'm fine… I'm fine, I just… **_AAAHH!_** "

 _Air molecules carry the vibrations of human speech._

"Shut up!"

"W-What?"

"Not you, Kelly! **_AHHHH_**!"

 _Air molecules carry the vibrations of human speech._

"Stop saying that!"

"Stop what? Jackie, you're not making any sense."

" ** _GAAAAAAAAAAAH!_** Make it stop! Make it stop!"

 _Air molecules… vibrations…_

Then, just as mysteriously as it began, the throbbing subsided, and her pain was replaced by an unnatural calm. Suddenly, her mind was clear again. Finally, she could think.

'Jeez, what the heck was that all about? Why did that thread keep playing over and over? And why did it hurt so much? Was this your doing, King? King! I said, was this your… oh wait, I don't have that mushroom stuff in my head anymore. He can't hear me. Or, I can't hear him. Ugh, this is too confusing.'

"Jackie?" said Kelly, sounding both concerned and fearful. "Are you _Hic_ okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay." She replied, half lying. "I'm just… trying to figure something out."

'Okay, seriously, what the heck is going on here? If this really is the King's doing, what's his end game? Why does he keep replaying that same thread? Maybe it has something to do with Pinball Wizard's secret power. Okay, let's think. Air molecules carry the vibrations of human speech. So… I guess that means they carry the vibrations of all sounds. Sounds make air molecules vibrate. Sound makes air vibrate. No, that's crazy. Air doesn't vibrate. Or does it? I mean, we can't see air, so how do we know it can't vibrate? Okay, let's assume that air vibrates, what does that have to do with my Stand? Well… air vibrates even though it's not a solid. Stands aren't solid either, but mine can bounce off solid objects. Sound isn't solid, but it can bounce off air molecules which aren't solid either. Nonsolid things can bounce off other nonsolid things.'

Suddenly, someone flipped a switch in Jackie's brain.

An epiphany had smacked her right in the face.

"That's it." She said, quietly at first, before leaping to her feet and shouting at the top of her voice. " **That's it!** "

"What? What's going on?"

"I've got it! By god, Kelly, I've got it! I know how I can beat Danni!"

" _Hic_. R-Really?" the bush girl asked, with timid skepticism. "How?"

"It's easy. All I have to do is take my clothes off."

"Eh… _Hic._ What?"

"Look, it's very simple. Last night, a talking pig took me to meet a talking tree, and the tree told me how the universe was made and then he showed me a Cosmic Ley Line and now I have to get naked, so I can beat the evil Stand User and we can go home. See, simple."

Kelly gave no response, but her fearful, wide-eyed expression said it all.

She thought Jackie was crazy.

"Oh… okay, Kelly. I know how this sounds…"

"Do you? _Hic_." The bush girl interrupted, her voice dripping with panic and concern. "Jackie, you ate enough Morpheus Mushrooms to kill a _Hic Hic_ gorilla. And now you're babbling about _Hic_ talking pig-trees and taking your clothes off. _Hic_. Oh Jackie! _Hic. Hic. Hic. Hic._ I'm so sorry! _Hic. Hic. Hic._ I messed up your brain! _Hic_."

"Whoa! Hey now. My brain is just fine. In fact, it's better than fine. For the first time in days I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. I know I can beat Danni this time. But first I have to take my clothes off."

"Jackie, stop it! _Hic_. You're talking crazy! I think those mushrooms did something _Hic Hic_ to your brain chemistry. You need to lie down. _Hic_."

"I told you, I'm fine. And anyway, we don't have time for that. I have to go face Danni now, before it's too late."

"Forget about Danni! _Hic_. You're in no shape _Hic_ to fight anybody!"

"I don't have a choice. If one of us doesn't beat that chick soon, we'll both die. And since you don't have a Stand it has to be me. There's just no other way."

"Yes, there is! _Hic. Hic_. We can run away, or hide, or _Hic_."

"Run where? _Hide_ where? Kelly, we're out of time. I have to do this."

" _No, you don't_!" the bush head yelled defiantly, before tearing up again. "Jackie… _Hic_ your mind… you're not well. _Hic. Hic._ If you go up against Danni now, you'll… _Hic_ … you'll… _Hic_ … you'll… _Hic_ … Oh god! Jackie, please don't go! _Hic. Hic. Hic_. I don't want you to die! _Hic. Hic._ "

Suddenly, the young skateboarder was struck by yet another shocking epiphany.

Why hadn't it occurred to her before?

The sadness in her eyes.

The soul crushing guilt in her voice.

They'd been through so much over the last few days.

Laughing.

Crying.

Overcoming hardship after hardship.

They'd become so close in such a short period of time.

Of course, Kelly wanted to protect her.

Heck, she wanted to protect Kelly.

That's why she knew what she had to do.

"Kelly." Jackie said softly, as she gently placed a hand under the bush girl's chin; tilting her head so they were looking into each other's eyes. "I promise, everything's gonna be alright."

Kelly looked like she was about to say something, but before she could open her mouth, Jackie summoned Pinball Wizard and had it strike her in the back of the head; instantly knocking her out cold.

As her body went ragdoll, Jackie carefully guided it into the most comfortable position she could manage.

Then, after giving her unconscious companion a quick kiss on the forehead, the young skateboarder stood back up and said,

"Okay… let's get to it."

End Notes:

Only about… four chapters left.

I think.

Might need to double check my notes later.

Anyway, thanks for reading and I'll see you in the next one.

Peace.


	17. Chapter 16

Sorry for the delay, everyone. Been having some technical difficulties on my end and, long story short, I may need a new laptop. Hopefully it won't come to that because it seems to be working now. But fingers crossed. Anyway, Star vs the Forces of Evil is owned by Disney and Stands are the creation of the brilliant and talented Hirohiko Araki. Blah. Blah. Blah. Enjoy.

Flowers and Brimstone: Chapter 16.

( _Elsewhere on the island, twenty-two and a half minutes later)_

In a large clearing near the southern end of the island, the rogue Stand User and sole surviving Diamond Dog, Danni Charles slept peacefully next to a massive pile of bones.

It had been almost a week since her ordeal began and, to be perfectly honest, aside from being hit over the head with a branch on her first day, she was having a perfectly lovely time.

And no, I'm not being sarcastic.

Danni loved camping ever since she was a little girl. And they were like a zillion miles from anything even remotely close to civilization, so there was zero air pollution. Plus, all the wild boars she could eat; which was a lot, if the previously mentioned bone pile was anything to go by.

You know, there's just something special about wild meat. All that farm raised crap they sell in supermarkets and fast food joints, it just sits in your stomach like lead. But wild meat… now that's the real deal.

But alas, I stray from the point.

What matters here, is that Danni was enjoying her little stay on the island; in spite of Chemical Romance's death threat hanging over her head.

She knew that if they wanted to live, those two girls would have to come after her sooner or later. And when they did, she would obliterate them both with minimal effort.

True, it was the last day and the twerps had yet to show themselves, but the punk rocker had come up with an emergency final solution. If her targets didn't come out of hiding before noon, she'd simply use Georgia Devil's power to atomize everything on the island. And given that said island was only slightly smaller than Key West, that should only take about… three hours: give or take.

Either way, she wasn't worried.

Not even a little.

Just then, Danni's eyes snapped open.

Her sound slumber was abruptly ended by the sudden appearance of a familiar aura.

"About f***ing time." The pink haired lunatic muttered as she worked herself into a seated position. "Thought I was gonna have to hunt you down."

After a couple twists of the neck and a few quick stretches, Danni grabbed her guitar and forced herself back to her feet. Admittedly, this wasn't her ideal scenario. She'd have much preferred getting to finish her nap before going into battle, but it was what it was. And anyway, it's not like it really made a difference. So what if her muscles were a little stiff? She'd already figured out the girl's weakness. As long as she stayed inside her little clearing she'd be fine. Right?

Right!

Easy, Breezy, One-Two-Threezy.

"Alright, girly! Come on out!" Danni called to her unseen opponent as she did a quick survey of her surroundings. "Come on. Don't try to act all cool and mysterious. I know you're out there. I sensed your puny aura while I was sleeping. So, just come out now and I promise I'll make it quick. What do you say?"

The punk rocker received no verbal reply, but her ears were soon struck by the familiar sound of rustling leaves.

Moments later she heard footsteps accompanied by the unmistakable din of someone walking through a bush.

Finally, she'd arrived.

"Well it's about damn time you showed up." Danni said beratingly as she spun around to face her soon to be victim. "Do you have any idea how long I've been… naked."

The punk rocker was completely dumbfounded.

Standing before her, at the edge of her little clearing, was a feral child straight from the mind of Mr. Edgar Rice Burroughs. Hair all matted and disheveled. Toned, athletic body covered in splotches of mud and dead leaves. And naked. Buck naked. Naked as an animal. Naked as the day she was born. Just plain naked.

"Naked." The lone Diamond Dog said confusedly; her brain still struggling to comprehend what she was seeing. "You are naked. You are a naked person. Why are you naked? Why, on God's green Earth are you naked? What possible reason could you have for being naked right now? Wha… why… _Naked_?"

"Are you finished?" asked the wild child in a calm and Zen like manner.

"Yeah, I'm good. But seriously though, why the hell are you naked? What are you, a pervert or something?"

"I needed to feel the shape of the air and my clothes were getting in the way." The naked girl answered with a surprisingly straight face.

"O… Kay… So, where's that freaky looking girlfriend of yours? You eat her or what?"

"She's not far, but she is well beyond your reach. She is in the court of the King and hidden within the roots of wisdom."

"Huh? What was that? Sorry, I don't speak freak-o. Are you high? Seriously, what year is it? Who's president?"

"Your insults amuse only yourself." The wild girl said calmly as she took several steps forward, effectively sealing her doom. "And anyway, talk is cheap. Only actions can affect the outcome of any given scenario."

'Cripes. What with this kid?' Danni thought to herself bewilderedly as her opponent kept walking toward her. 'A few days in the forest and she's talking like a fortune cookie. And what's her plan? I expected her to try and ambush me while I was sleeping, or something that might actually work. But just walking up in front of me? Putting herself in the same scenario that got her butt kicked a few days ago? She must've cracked. Eh, whatever. Just makes things easier for me.'

"Alright, girly. I don't know what kinda funky juju beans you been snacking on in the woods, but if you really wanna die this bad, then I got no complaints." She said as she gave her neck a quick crack and put her guitar in the appropriate position. "Alright, let's **_rock_**!"

Like she'd done a thousand times before, Danni poured her aura into her beloved Gibson, transforming it into the nightmarish instrument known as Georgia Devil.

Ya know, no matter how many times she did this, it always felt just like the first.

The rush of adrenaline.

The tingling in her bones.

That inflated sense of self-worth that can only come from the knowledge that you will soon end the life of another human being.

It was ecstasy.

Pure, unadulterated **_ecstasy_** ~

"Okay, Jungle Girl. Let's **_dance_**!"

Without the slightest bit of hesitation, Danni struck a chord on her demonic guitar; causing it to fire a blast of static charged sound out of its grotesque and malformed mouth.

Naturally, the attack made a bee line for its intended target, but strangely enough, said target made no attempt at escape. She just stood there like a pole; her eyes closed, and her arms outstretched for some reason. How curious. Had she given up and just accepted her fate? Or was she just being crazy again? Oh well, it doesn't really matter. Within moments, she would be…

 ** _BOOOOM!_**

Suddenly, the crackling sound blast exploded before it could reach its target; sending up a massive cloud of dust that burned the pink haired rocker's eyes like a spritz of bear mace.

When the dust settled, and her eyes finally stopped throbbing, Danni was standing before a large hole with her target standing on the other side; looking as disgustingly Zenned out as before.

"What the hell?"

"Not bad." The naked girl said tranquilly, before shooting the punk rocker a determined glare. "But now it's my turn."

Just like last time, the wild girl fired her strange robotic Stand at Danni with the force of a cannonball. And just like last time, the punk rocker just casually stepped aside and let it whoosh right past her.

'What is this, a rerun? Didn't this twerp learn her lesson from last…'

But before she could finish that thought, an alarm went off inside her brain; her instincts were screaming at her to jump out of the way. And it's a good thing she listened, for one second later, the same robot Stand whooshed by her again, but in the opposite direction.

'What the hell?' she thought as she watched her opponent's Stand stop itself on a dime and turn around to face her with the skill of a figure skater. 'This is impossible. There's nothing behind me for it to bounce off. This must be some kind of trick or something.'

"What's the matter?" the jungle girl asked with passive smugness. "You don't seem quite as confident as you did before. Are you getting cold feet?"

Suddenly, Danni's left eye started twitching, and her blood began to boil.

"Oh, that's it!" the mad rocker screamed rabidly. "You dun did it now, girly! Try dodging **_this_**!"

Without thinking, Danni struck another chord and fired an even larger blast of sound at her hated foe.

'See you in hell, you smug little bitch.'

But, yet again, the wild child did not look worried.

Instead, she just closed her eyes and stretched out her arms like she did before. Only this time, her robot Stand took a massive leap into the air, did a flip, and landed directly on top of the blast. Then, with one powerful thrust of its legs, it both launched itself even higher into the air and sent the sonic blast straight into the ground; stirring up another cloud of dust.

Fortunately, having learned her lesson from last time, Danni was quick to shield her eyes with her right arm. But alas, that did nothing to ease her confusion. The girl's Stand could bounce off sound? How was that even possible?

While she pondered this, the dust began to settle, and once the air was finally clear the punk rocker unshielded her eyes; only to be met by an even more unbelievable sight.

The enemy Stand… it was… bouncing off nothing.

No, not nothing.

It was bouncing off the air!

All around her, the strange robot Stand was zipping to and fro at high speed. Ricocheting off the ground and the air. Enclosing the mad rocker like a faraday cage.

'What the hell is this?' she thought angrily. 'Bouncing off sound and air? This isn't possible. This isn't right!'

And all the while, the naked wild child just stood there with her eyes closed; sporting that smug grin.

"You little **_BITCH_**!" Danni screamed in a rage as she fired off several more atomizing sonic blasts. "Hold still! Hold still so I can kill you, you **_worm_**!"

But alas, it was all for not.

The robot Stand just deflected each attack into the sky; both protecting its User and causing the mad guitarist to grind her teeth with anger.

"Damn it! **Damn it**! **_DAMN IT_**! Why won't you just di- ** _AAAAAAAAAAAK_**!"

Without warning, the robot Stand changed its course.

Propelling it straight into Danni's demonic guitar; shattering it instantly, along with most of her ribs.

And as the pink haired Diamond Dog flew backwards and landed roughly on the cold hard ground, two words managed to escape her lips.

"Cheap… shot…"

End Notes:

Again, sorry this one came out a little later than usual. Hopefully it won't happen again.

Anyway, only three chapters left and then I go on hiatus again.

Until then, thanks for reading and I'll see you in the next one.

Peace.


	18. Chapter 17

Not gonna lie, this chapter is kinda boring. But it wraps up Jackie and Kelly's part of the story quite nicely. So, I'm happy with it. Anyway, Star vs the Forces of Evil is owned by Disney and Stands are the creation of the brilliant and talented Hirohiko Araki. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Enjoy.

Flowers and Brimstone: Chapter 17.

( _Picking up where we left off_ )

Like a lone wolf stalking its prey, Jackie crept slowly towards her fallen foe without making a sound.

She was about 90% sure Danni was dead, but hey, why take chances.

Anyway, as she tiptoed through the grass, the young skateboarder took note of all the guitar pieces that were scattered around the field. Pinball Wizard had really done a number on the Diamond Dog's once proud cherry red Gibson. To say that it had been shattered would be a grievous understatement. This was nothing short of total and complete annihilation.

And given the close, almost symbiotic relationship between a User's Stand and their physical body, she could only imagine what Danni's insides must look like.

 _Shudder._

Best not to think about it too much.

Just focus on moving one foot in front of the other, and… there.

Before she knew it, Jackie was standing before the lifeless body of Danni Charles.

Well, there was no doubt about it anymore.

The mad rocker was definitely dead.

Her chest was completely crushed, her jacket was soaked in blood, and her eyes were little more than lifeless chunks of glass.

A person can't get much deader than that.

But still, it never hurts to make sure.

So, with the utmost caution, the young skateboarder gently poked the deceased Diamond Dog's face with her big toe.

No response.

Just to be triple sure, she poked Danni again several more times, but when an incidental tap on the eye failed to trigger so much as a muscle spasm, Jackie was forced to accept the reality of her situation.

Danni Charles, the last of the Diamond Dogs was, indeed, dead.

Thank Goodness.

With the last of her fears finally put to rest, Jackie let out a tremendous sigh of relief. At last, the nightmare was over. Now all she had to do was go back for Kelly and wait for their captor to show up, and then they could both go home.

Home.

Was there ever a more beautiful word in any language?

Just the sound of it made her weak in the knees.

Or maybe that was just the adrenaline wearing off.

I mean, she had just singlehandedly ended the life of another human being.

Granted, she had been a profoundly evil human being who'd most likely killed thousands of innocent people just for the hell of it, but still, that didn't make it right.

What right did she have to play God?

No!

Mustn't think like that.

It was self-defense, pure and simple.

And like Jefferson always says, 'When your survival is at stake, there's no such thing as murder'.

Wait… did Jefferson say that or was that a line from an old movie?

Eh, doesn't matter.

Whoever said it, they were right.

No sense in feeling guilty about this.

She did what she had to do.

Now all that remained was to go get the sleeping bush-head and… oh.

Suddenly, Jackie felt like she'd been shot.

Kelly was standing on the edge of the clearing; staring at the nude skateboarder with wide, unblinking eyes.

How long had she been there?

How much had she seen?

At the very least, she'd arrived just in time to see a naked Jackie standing over a bloody corpse.

Good lord, what she must be thinking.

"Kelly… I… I can explain." The young skateboarder said in a soft, almost frightened voice. "It's not what it looks like. I swear."

The bush-girl said nothing, but her eyes suddenly welled with tears.

And that made Jackie's heart ache.

"Kelly, I know this looks bad, but I promise, I only did what I had to." She explained, though it seemed to be doing little good. "It was self-defense. Honest. I-I'd never do something like this unless…"

But the words suddenly died in her throat.

Somehow, and seemingly defying the laws of physics, the young bush-head had dashed across the clearing in the blink of an eye and threw her arms around the nude skateboarder; pulling her into a tight, almost bone crushing hug.

"Oh, Jackie!" she cried as the tears started streaming down her cheeks. "I'm so _Hic_ happy you're alright! I thought _Hic_ I thought _Hic_ I thought _Hic_ I thought I'd never see you again!"

Jackie felt another strong tug on the old heartstrings.

It pained her to know that she'd caused this poor sweet girl so much grief.

She felt deeply, deeply ashamed.

In an attempt to ease both of their suffering, the young skateboarded started stroking her friend's soft, pompom like hair.

"There, there." She said sweetly. "It's okay."

"I _Hic_ I was so _Hic_ scared. _Hic_. Scared that you were…"

" _Shhh_ ~ I know. And I'm so sorry I made you worry. But everything's gonna be alright now. It's over. The nightmare is finally over."

" _Indeed, it is~_ "

Jackie's blood suddenly turned cold.

That voice.

That soft and oily voice.

It had been almost a week since she'd last heard it, but there was no mistake.

This was the voice of their mysterious captor.

Chemical Romance.

" _Don't turn around._ " The voice commanded softly, apparently sensing want she was about to do. " _Turn around and you're both dead._ "

"Jackie _Hic_ did you _Hic_ say something?"

"Kelly, keep your head down and your eyes shut."

" _Hic_. What?"

"Please, just trust me on this."

"Oh, um… okay. _Hic_."

And the bush-girl promptly obeyed; earning a chuckle from their 'gracious host'.

" _Heh-Heh-Heh-Heh-Heh. Good girl._ " The unseen psychopath purred sinisterly into Jackie's ear. " _You probably just saved her life._ "

"What do you want?" the young skateboarder asked calmly. "We won your challenge. Are you here to reward us or are you going back on your word?"

" _Only fools and lowbrows go back on their word. And after all the entertainment you girls have given me this week, I'd say you've more than earned your freedom. No, the only thing I'm here for is that… SLURP… succulent little sack of meat you've so generously tenderized for me. I've got to get it home before it starts to rot._ "

"Y-You mean you're going to… _eat_ Danni?"

" _Of course, it's an old family tradition. But don't worry. I know you've got this weird thing about blood. So, I'll wait 'til I get home before I take that first big meaty chomp._ "

"You're sick."

" _Careful now, sweetie. I was just starting to like you. And hey, don't knock it 'til you try it. I mean, most people think humans taste like pork, but it's really more of a smoky beef like flavor. Occasionally tough, but extremely juicy. Goes great with Vichyssoise._ "

"Is there a point to this?"

" _No, no, just making small talk._ " Chemical Romance said teasingly, before giving Jackie's cheek a quick but sickening lick. " _Mmm~ Beefy~ Heh-Heh-Heh~_ "

The young skateboarder had to physically force herself not to freak out.

" _But in all seriousness, good job dealing with that slutty Diamond Dog. You've got real chops, you know that. You are definitely one of the Chosen~_ "

"The… Chosen?"

" _You know, the Strong. The Powerful. The ones who eat instead of being eaten. I'm an Eater, Jackie. An avid Eater. And now, so are you. And so is your fluffy little friend there._ "

"Kelly and I are nothing like you."

" _Hmmm~ Maybe not. But you still beat my game, and that means you deserve to live. So, I'll be tolerant of your… weakness._ "

"You'll never get away with this, you know. Marco and the others will come after you."

" _Oh, I know. I'm looking forward to it. I can't wait to find out what kind of people they really are. Ooo~ Especially Star. Personally, I hope she loses. I'm just dying to sink my teeth into her rosy flesh. To feel her baby blue eyes slide down my throat. To gobble up every last strand of her golden hair. Oh~ I get chills just thinking about it~_ "

"I take back what I said before. You're not just sick. You're disgusting."

" _Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but I can melt your face off~_ "

"You don't scare me. You already promised you wouldn't kill us, and only fools goes back on their word, right?"

" _Heh-Heh. Smart girl. Now listen, I wanna give you something. But you've gotta close your eyes first._ "

"Why?"

" _Because if you see my face, I'll have to kill you. Word or no word. Now, close your eyes and count to ten._ "

Seeing no other alternative, Jackie did as she was told.

Suddenly, all the world was darkness.

10

9

8

The young skateboarder heard footsteps, as if someone was walking around her.

7

6

5

4

Then there was a strange ripping sound, like someone had just torn through a sheet of construction paper.

3

2

" _See you around, Nature Girl~_ "

1

Jackie's eyes snapped back open.

Once again, she and Kelly were all alone in the clearing.

Danni's body was gone.

And in its place, was a pair of golden scissors with the name 'Marco' etched into the blade, laying neatly on the crimson colored grass.

Now it was really over.

"Jackie. _Hic_." Said Kelly in a low and timid voice. "I-I-Is she _Hic_ gone?"

"Yeah, Kelly. She's gone." Jackie said reassuringly as she stroked her friend's poofy locks. "It's over. Let's go home."

" _Sigh_. Home… was there ever _Hic_ a more beautiful word." The bush girl said dreamily, before her cheeks suddenly lit up like a furnace. "Um… _Hic_ Jackie?"

"Yes, Kelly?"

"Do you think you _Hic_ might wanna _Hic_ put your clothes back on?"

"No."

End Notes:

Only two chapters left, folks.

Thanks for reading.

See you next time.

Peace.


	19. Chapter 18

" _If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed._ "

(Adolf Hitler)

Star vs the Forces of Evil is owned by Disney and Stands are the creation of the brilliant and talented Hirohiko Araki.

Enjoy.

Flowers and Brimstone: Chapter 18.

( _Whimsy Valley, Mewni: later that evening_ )

It was a dark and cloudy night in Whimsy Valley, and although the weather was relatively tame, the atmosphere was tense.

It had been almost a week since the near catastrophe at the Farmer's Market and there had already been nine similar attacks on Monster populated areas all over Mewni; two more in the south, two in the east, two in the north, one in the west, one near the capital, and one in a refugee camp beyond the kingdom's boarders.

And unfortunately, there were no members of the Whimsy Clan present at these locations, so the attacks had gone off without a hitch.

The death toll was almost at an even two hundred, with many more horribly maimed.

Naturally, Queen Moon denied having any connection to these young extremists, but few were convinced. Just before dying, each of the suicide bombers had declared, rather loudly, that they were committing these atrocities in the name of the Royal Family. Hell, the one terrorist they'd managed to capture swore that she'd been following the Queen's direct orders.

Clearly, something sinister was in the works.

But rather than just sit around and wait for things to unfold, Sir Atlas, the bold and dashing baronet of Whimsy Valley, decided to take a more proactive approach. To that end, he sent out secret messages to every major/influential figure within the Monster Community; inviting them to a top-secret meeting at the Whimsy Clan's ancestral home to discuss recent events and try to come up with a solution.

Unfortunately, out of all the monsters he contacted, only four RSVPed 'Yes'. And although this was two more than he'd expected, it was far less than he'd hoped.

But alas, I diverge from the point.

What matters is that on this night, within the hallowed halls of Blackstone Castle, the fate of Mewni would be changed forever.

It was about a quarter to seven, and all the 'delegates' were gathered together in the Whimsy Clan's semi-famous dining room; all of them seated at the family's ancestral mahogany long table.

At the head of the table sat the lord of the manor himself, Sir Atlas Whimsy; the Baronet of Whimsy Valley. He was a tall, hulking, mountain of a man, with muscles that would make Eugen Sandow green with envy. His eyes were like dark blue opals, and he had a large, orange handlebar moustache that had clearly been groomed meticulously; which was most likely his way of compensating for his male pattern baldness. As per usual, he was dressed in the traditional garb of his station, which to the more knowledgeable earthling would be nearly indistinguishable from the uniform of an early 20th Century French field marshal; save for the tasteful addition of a satin cape. In short, he cut quite an imposing figure, but fortunately, as anyone who knew him would tell you, Sir Atlas was more philosopher than fighter.

On his left, sat his loyal brother-in-law, Lord Mildrew; who was there at the behest of his beloved sister Artemis to provide emotional support. While on his right, sat the head of the Whimsy Valley Merchants Association, a stern and sour faced old cuss by the name of Alan Woodrow; who was well known in the south for his open disdain of the Royal Family.

Next to Mildrew sat a large, anthropomorphic ape like creature with numerous battle scars running down his bare chest. His name was Hanzo, better known as Hanzo of the Forrest. He was the leader of a small but determined militia that raided supply lines up in the north to feed starving monster families. He was well known for his hatred of Mewmans, so his accepting of Atlas' invitation came as a tremendous shock.

Across from him sat a snow-white lycanthrope by the name of Bright-Eyes; a big name in the Wild Wood of Whimsy Valley and a close personal friend of the baronet. A bit of a roughneck if I'm being honest, but fiercely loyal. He held a deep respect for Sir Atlas and was immensely grateful to him for everything he'd done for the Monster Community. So, his presence surprised nobody.

Next to him sat a plump yet muscular boar like monster with long blond hair that she'd tied into a set of pigtails. Her name was Alice and she was wildly recognized as the founder of the so-called Alternative Monster Movement. Upon her back, she carried a large yellow gourd, which upon closer inspection appeared to have been fashioned into some kind of homemade hookah. Unlike the men, Alice seemed completely disinterested in what was going on around her; seeming content to just suck on the stem of her crude vaporizing device and exhaling sweet smelling smoke from her nostrils.

Last but not least, there was a large, green frog like creature in a dark green tunic. His name was Yvgeny Bulgolyubov, but most people just called him Buff Frog. A former spy for the rogue monster Ludo, Buff Frog had gained a lot of respect amongst the monsters living near the capital; both for his past involvement in plots against the Princess and his more current escapades providing sustenance for his friends and family. Out of everyone, he seemed the most anxious about being there. But given his history with covert ops, you could see how being out in the open like this might make him a little nervous.

For what felt like an eternity, the seven of them just sat around the table, quietly sizing each other up; no one knowing quite what to say or where to begin. And it's likely that this awkward silence would have gone on for hours, had one of them not worked up the nerve to break the ice.

"Alright, I'll just come out and say it. I hate all of you." Said Hanzo in a deep and raspy voice. "But then how could I not? I mean, just look at you. Three Mewmans, a traitor, a hippie, and a _dish licker_. _Ugh._ I must be out of my mind for coming here."

"And yet come here you did." Alice cut in with a relaxed demeanor as she casually blew another set of smoke rings out of her nose. "Now why do you suppose that is? Well, I can't speak for you, but I know why I'm here. I'm here because I recognize the need for action. The Queen's behavior as of late has been most alarming. We cannot simply sit on the sidelines and wait for her to send her extremists after us. We must be proactive."

"HA! That's a hot one!" mocked the great ape. "And what would you know about being proactive? I've seen what you so-called _Alternative Monsters_ are all about. Just a bunch of lazy, overindulgent pacifists. Do you even know how to fight?"

"I have taught my followers to avoid direct confrontation whenever possible. To seek a peaceful solution first, before resorting to violence. But yes, we all know how to fight. And fight we will. Fight for our right to be _lazy, overindulgent pacifists_. Now tell me, oh great Hanzo of the Forest, are you as willing to fight for what you believe in, or are you content to just sit back and criticize?"

Hanzo said nothing, but his expression spoke volumes.

He was _not_ happy.

"Now hold on, everyone." Said Sir Atlas, his voice somehow both stoic and flowery. "No one's said anything about fighting just yet. As a matter of fact, it may not even come to that. Each of us is a leader in one way or another. I'm sure if we rally our respective forces and pool them together, we can form a mighty coalition. An alliance that will serve as an opposition to the current regime. In time, others will come to understand our goals and join our cause. Eventually, our numbers will grow so vast that not even the Magic High Commission will be able to ignore us. And when they realize just how many of us are dissatisfied with the way things are, they will have no choice but to give in to our demands and remove the Butterflies from power."

"And what good will that do us?" asked Hanzo irritably. "What difference does it make who sits on that damn throne? Any puppet the Commission picks will be just as bad as the Butterflies; maybe even worse."

"Not if they pick Atlas." Bright-Eyes spoke up suddenly. "He ain't like them knobs up in the capital what hide themselves from other people's misery. He's a right proper gent, who cares about the needs of everybody; even us Monsters. I ain't too bright, I'll cop to that, but I know this much. With Atlas on the throne, we'll all be better off."

"Oh yes, and what a delightful little paradise that will be." The great ape chimed in sarcastically. "A world where all Monster can swallow their pride and feed off the scraps of Mewmans like lowly dogs. Well, that may be fine for you dish licking Wild Wooders, but not for real Monsters. Not for those of us who still dream of a day when we can banish those vile colonizers from our land and return it to its former glory."

"Actually, I quite agree with Mr. Bright-Eyes." Alice chimed in. "I've read all about his views on Monster-Mewman Relations, and I believe he'd be an ideal ruler."

The boar sow paused for a moment to take another hit from her homemade hookah.

"However, I don't agree with his plan. These suicide bombings prove that the Queen has become unstable. And her sway over the Commission is too great. Peaceful protests will not be enough to overturn her regime. If we're going to change things, we're going to have to remove the Royal Family from power ourselves. By force."

"I'm all for that." Said Mr. Woodrow unexpectedly. "I lost two sons in that bitch's campaign. I'll gladly take her daughter as compensation."

To which, Hanzo replied,

"Finally, a Mewman that makes sense."

"Gentlemen, Gentlemen, please." Sir Atlas spoke up, in a clear attempt to regain control of his own assembly. "Let's think about this rationally. We can't just declare war on the Royal Family. They have an army and powerful magic on their side. We wouldn't stand a chance."

"I agree with Sir Atlas." Buff Frog chimed in. "War with Butterflies would only end badly. Peaceful protest is best way."

"You would say that, you princess loving traitor!"

"Oy! You can't talk to him like that!"

"Stay out of this, mutt!"

"Gentleman, please!"

 _WHOOOSH!_

Just then, the window flew open and a gust of wind blew across the room; causing the candles in the chandelier to go dim.

For a split second, the room was in total darkness.

And when the lights returned, everyone was in for a big surprise.

Suddenly, they and the entire table were surrounded by a small band of tall, thin, vaguely goblin like creatures with putrid green skin and teeth like rotting toothpicks. Whatever they were, they made no move against the others; they just stood around their captives in a perfect circle with their backs hunched over and their arms raised in such a way that they resembled dogs begging for scraps.

Sir Atlas was about to say something, but the words died as soon as he noticed another strange creature standing on the table; this one a bit larger and much older looking than the others. It was dressed in long flowing robes of fur that concealed its withered body and atop its head sat a crown of twigs and leaves. A large black bird was perched upon its right shoulder; the Baronet wasn't sure why, but there was something off about it, almost… malevolent.

"Well now, isn't this a lovely sight." The tall goblin-man said amusedly in a high, squeaky voice. "Rich and poor. Young and old. Monster and Mewman. All sitting together at the same table. Nobody attacking nobody. That, my friends, is a miracle. And miracles are the way things ought to be."

"What is this foolishness?" asked Hanzo annoyedly. "Whimsy, is this your doing?"

"No, I swear, I have no idea what this is."

"Sir Atlas speaks the truth. We have come here of our own accord." The goblin-man said squeakily. "Please, allow me to introduce myself. I am Marcus Brando; King of the Hobyahs."

" _Hobyah~ Hobyah~ Hobyah~_ " the other creatures all chanted.

"Hobyah? What's a Hobyah?" asked Bright-Eyes, speaking for the entire room.

"My dear friends, _we_ are Hobyahs and Hobyahs means _we_." The strange creature said playfully, before moving on with its explanation. "We are nature spirits. Ancient and powerful. And we have come to help you."

"Help us?" Buff Frog parroted. "How?"

"My friends, my friends. My people have existed since the dawn of time. And we have visited many strange and wonderous dimensions. But never in all our years have we witnessed an injustice the likes of which has befallen your people. To have your homes stolen from you. To be branded as freaks and pariahs. To be forced to starve in squalor while the thieves responsible gorge themselves in their ivory tower. _Unacceptable_!"

All the other Hobyahs spat on the floor in disgust.

"But no more, my friends. No more. The Queen and her Commission Flunkies only get away with these atrocities because they are powerful. But we can make you powerful too."

"You can give us magic?" Bright-Eyes asked almost hopefully.

But the other Hobyahs just spat on the floor again.

"Oh no, my friends. Magic is the tool of the wicked. It's for loathsome parasites who leech off the lifeblood of the universe and call themselves gods. No, no, my friends. Look not to the cosmos for strength. Look within yourselves."

" ** _Enough of these riddles_**!" Hanzo roared angrily; slamming his fist against the hard mahogany. "I've had all I can stand of your incessant babbling. If you have a point, get to it before I break you in half!"

" _Hmff_. Very well." The King Hobyah said, sounding thoroughly unafraid, "To put it simply, my friends, Magic is not the only power in the universe. There are forces much older and much more reliable. And I can help you tap into those forces, with _this_."

Without anyone noticing, the strange goblin man had reached into his sleeve and pulled out a very old looking stone arrow; which he was now holding up for all to see.

"Tell me, my friends, have any of you ever heard of Stands?"

End Notes:

I am so sorry about how late this chapter is. And unfortunately, this time I have no one to blame but myself. I got caught up in watching episodes of Hero 108 on YouTube, and before I knew what had happened I was a over a day behind schedule.

Anyway, this is the last chapter before the epilogue. And once that's finished I'll be going on break again.

But until then, thanks for reading and I'll see you all in the next one.

Peace.


	20. Epilogue

Here it is, the Epilogue. No point in dragging things out. Star vs the Forces of Evil is owned by Disney and Stands are the creation of the brilliant and talented Hirohiko Araki. Blah. Blah. Blah. Enjoy.

Flowers and Brimstone: Epilogue.

( _Boar's Head Island, Pacific Ocean: June 23, 2046_ )

"And so, with our foe defeated and our captor gone, Kelly and I returned to Echo Creek with our heads held high." The blonde guru said, before her expression fell slightly. "Unfortunately, even though our ordeal was over, our troubles were just beginning. By the time Kelly convinced me to put on underwear, it was late in the afternoon, so once we were all set to go we portaled straight to our usual meeting place in the park to let everyone know that we were okay; a mistake I still regret to this day. For you see, when I emerged from that portal wearing nothing but a bra and panties and started rambling about how I'd learned the secrets of the universe from a talking tree, everyone assumed I'd gone insane. And when Kelly told them about the Morpheus Mushrooms, well… let's just say Janna didn't take it very well. She started yelling at Kelly, blaming her for my supposed condition. And things got even worse when I stepped in to defend her. _Sigh._ That's when the rift between us started to form."

"Oh my, that's horrible." Said Marisol, ever the sympathetic type. "And you two just threw away your friendship? All because of a silly misunderstanding?"

"Well, not all at once. It wasn't until our junior year that I declared my love for Kelly and Janna officially announced that we were no longer friends. But it was a slow and painful slide up until then. But I guess I can't really blame her for being upset. In her mind, Kelly had willfully given me mind-altering drugs that messed with my brain chemistry. So, in her own selfish way, she was just trying to help me. Just trying to get me back to the person I used to be."

"Well, she was kinda right." Said Artemis, ever the tactless type. "I mean, Kelly said it herself. Those mushrooms mess up your brain. And if I'm being honest, your younger self sounds way cooler than you are now. I mean, she was into skateboards and stuff, and you're all… culty and wei- _AAAAH_!"

Much like before, the young princess' insensitive comment was cut short by a quick smack to the back of the head; this time delivered by her twin sister.

" _UGH!_ Jeez! I think I'm bruised." She whined as she felt the back of her aching scalp. "Since when are you this strong?"

Marisol said nothing but blew her twin a quick raspberry before turning her attention back on Jackie.

"Please forgive my sister, Aunt Jackie." She said in the politest voice she could muster. "She likes to skip out on her etiquette lessons to go brawling with street urchins."

"Why you spoiled, smug little-OWWW! Stop hitting me!"

"Oh, it's quite alright, my dear. I'm used to dealing with skeptics. And besides, she's not entirely wrong. The Morpheus Mushrooms were instrumental in my spiritual awakening. And, if I'm being honest, I never had a romantic interest in other girls until after I consumed them. So, perhaps they did change me in some ways."

The blonde guru paused for a moment to adjust her neck before continuing.

"That being said, I much prefer myself the way I am now. In my youth I always tried to play it cool, but when faced with real adversity my façade would crack and my spirit would crumble. But now I understand what it is to truly be at peace. And in that peace, I have found my one true calling; to help those who are lost and set them down the path of enlightenment. Honestly, I couldn't be happier."

"Maybe so, but you and Aunt Janna used to be best friends. Didn't you ever try to patch things up?"

"Of course, she did." Kelly cut in suddenly. "Jackie's tried at least a dozen times over the years to 'patch things up' with that… _woman_ , but she just refuses to see reason."

"Kelly."

"Thinks she's so great. She's just a stubborn, selfish, homophobic old manatee. That's what she is."

"Kelly."

"Oh, and she has the nerve to tell Jackie that she's _wasting her life on this island_. Wasting her life. HA! Like's she's ever done anything."

"Kelly."

" _Ooo~ Look at me~ My name's Janna and I think I'm so cool~_ _Even though I'm really just a big fat bitc…_ "

" ** _Kelly!_** "

The blonde guru shouted; once again silencing her spouse.

"Dearest, this is the second time today you've forced me to raise my voice." She said, resuming her signature calm. "If it happens again, you will be sleeping alone for the next month. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Beloved." The bush-head replied meekly.

"Good. Now then, what were we talking about?"

"Lady, I don't even know anymore." Said Artemis with a mix of exasperation and annoyance.

"Well, I was saying that I think it's simply dreadful how you two could just throw away such a close friendship over something as trivial as… lifestyle choices."

"Perhaps you are right, young Marisol." Jackie replied with her signature Zen like air. "But alas, attracting forces come and go; such is the way of the universe. Perhaps one day we'll make up, perhaps not. And if we don't then that's just the way it's meant to be. Besides, I don't think either of us has any reason to complain. We're both leading the lives we've chosen and we both have much to be proud of. I have created a religion that has helped thousands of people turn their lives around. And she is a highly respected college professor who helps shape the minds of a new generation. Not to mention, she was the one who finally vanquished that villainous cur Toffee."

" _Allegedly_."

" _Kelly_."

"Sorry."

"Wait, _Toffee_?" said Artemis dumbfoundedly. "As in _the_ Toffee? As in the immortal monster that killed our great grandmother? Aunt Janna killed _that_ Toffee?"

"That is correct, young one."

"B-B-But how? When?"

"That, I'm afraid, is a story for another day." The blonde guru replied with a hint of playfulness in her voice. "And besides, it's totally irrelevant. You are here to learn the ways of Omnitology. Not revel in the tales of battles long past."

"But…"

"No buts. If you want to hear about Janna's exploits, you can ask her yourself when you see her later this summer. But until then, you must focus on the here and now. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Aunt Jackie." The rebel princess replied sullenly, as her face twisted into a childish pout.

Marisol was about to say something, most likely another smart remark at her sister's expense, when a random thought popped into her head. Suddenly she remembered something she'd been wanting to ask all day.

"Excuse me, Aunt Jackie." She said in the politest voice she could muster. "May I please ask you something?"

"But of course, my dear. What is it?"

"What made you decide to spend your life helping people?"

A warm smile spread across the blonde guru's face.

"Actually, Jefferson gave me the idea."

At this, Artemis nearly choked on her own saliva.

" _AAAK! What_? Jefferson? The old drunk guy? _He_ told you to do all this?"

"Well, not in so many words, but I have tried to live my life by his example. He was such a kind and compassionate man."

"Uh… are we talking about the same guy who got drunk in the middle of the day and then blew off his doorknob with a shotgun?"

"You've only heard about him though stories. You didn't know him the way we did. Oh sure, he had his demons. And he spent most of his life fighting a losing battle against them. But there was so much more to him than that. Even after his friends and family kicked him into the gutter, he still managed to hold on to that basic sense of human decency. He used to think that all the adversity he'd suffered had made him cold and cynical, but he was wrong. It just made him kind. He knew how it felt to lose everything and to have to start over from the bottom. And that made him sympathetic to the suffering of others. I saw it myself. First with Ludo, and then again with Meteora. I remember thinking to myself, 'if someone like him can help people like them turn their lives around, why can't I?'"

"Wait, Meteora?" asked Artemis confusedly. "You mean that kooky old music teacher from Typhon? What's she got to do with anything?"

"That, I'm afraid, is yet another story for another day." The blonde guru answered cryptically before allowing herself another blissful smile. "And besides, it's getting late. That story took longer than I thought it would. It's nearly dinner time and Brother Dennis has promised to prepare us a sumptuous feast in your honor. Mustn't keep him waiting."

And with that, Jackie floated off in the direction of the Great Feast Hall.

Naturally, Kelly hurried after her like the devoted spouse she was, and Artemis followed soon after, muttering something about vegan food.

However, Marisol decided to hang back for a minute or two to take in the beauty of her surroundings.

To think that this island, which had once been the setting of a horrendous murder game, had become a place of healing and enlightenment.

It was truly awe-inspiring.

Just then, a strange melody reached the young princess' ear, prompting her to look upwards to find its source.

There, high up in the great willow's canopy, sat the mysterious being from her Aunt Jackie's story; the ancient and god-like Stand know as Aloha Oe."

The Stand of the King.

"Hey." He said casually.

"Oh… um… hello." Marisol replied.

"Hey, Marisol! You coming or what?" called her sister.

"Artemis! Artemis, come quick! You have to see…"

But before she could finish, the King's Stand had vanished.

"Never mind!" she called back.

And off she went to join the others.

End Notes:

Coming in… whenever I feel like it…

Part 4: 1-Up Girl.

Aqua Boogie vs Pac-Man Fever.

Let the games begin.


End file.
